Empty Promises
by angeldylan628
Summary: Faking acceptance wasn't an option for Peyton Sawyer. Not after seeing what she saw. How the aftermath of 1.09 should have gone down in my eyes. Eventual Leyton.
1. Stupid Indeed

A/N: I shouldn't be doing this. I still haven't finished Nothing and Everything and I'm behind on Life Happens, but this fic idea is just too good to pass up. These chapters will be shorter than my other stories. And this fic will only be about nine chapters at the most. It features a much darker Peyton than I'm used to writing. She's very bitchy, very angry, very vindictive. This isn't a fluffy little Leyton piece. This is a struggle and a constant uphill battle. (sigh) I'm very proud of this one. It takes place after 1.09 when Peyton confesses her love only for Lucas to basically slap her in the face…yes I'm still bitter about that. Anyways, this is how I wanted Peyton to respond. Enjoy! And please do review if you don't mind. There's a bit of swearing so if that bugs you, you should be warned.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill (thank God…I'd hate to be Mark), I don't own Stupid Girl by Garbage and I don't even technically own the computer I'm typing on now.

_You stupid girl_

_You stupid girl_

_Cant believe you fake it_

_Cant believe you fake it_

_Stupid…Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!_ It was the only coherent thought that passed through Peyton's head as she drove home from Lucas's house. Her heart broke with each second that passed, each note that Jimmy Page played. She tried hard to get lost in the music. To forget the horrific scene that had unfolded before her not more than five minutes ago. She tried to ignore the bubbly look on Brooke's face that was engrained in her mind. She had a smirk and that voice that oozed sickly sweetness. The little vixen had won again.

Lucas. She didn't even want to hear his name. His eyes filled with shame and regret. But she doubted he really regretted his actions. He was ashamed for getting caught. Maybe those were his intentions all along. How could she have been so blind? So naïve? How could she have thought that he was any different than the guys she had known before?

He was Nathan, only more deceitful. Trickier. More complex. She wasn't expecting him to be an asshole. He surprised her there. But she should have expected it. All men had treated her like this since the day she entered junior high. Boys were looking for one thing. Sex. And while she had become accustomed to the ones who were blatant and honest with their intentions, she hadn't been prepared for the quiet ones. The ones who had other means of getting into your pants. She wasn't ready for him.

That's why she turned him down the first time. God! And here she thought that he had wanted more. It was just sweet talk. Words meant to make her coo and fall into a puddle at his feet. She was supposed to just hear them and not take them to heart. But she did. She made the mistake of thinking everything he said meant more. But it didn't. It never did. It was all empty.

He just moved on to the next girl. An easier target. And it had to be Brooke. It couldn't have been Theresa or Bevin or Meredith or hell even, Haley. Nope. Brooke Davis. Her best friend. Perfect fucking Brooke Davis. The one whose affection he had swore off not to long ago. Fucking liar. Stupid little girl for believing him.

She missed the days when she trusted no one. When it didn't matter if she found her crush ready to get it on with Brooke Davis. Hell, you'd have to be naïve to think this was the first time Brooke had done this. They had a similar taste in guys. Brooke always won, but before, Peyton never minded. She always believed that there'd be another one out there. But this time. This time it didn't feel as though there would. She was permanently scarred by this incident.

She was done with Brooke. She was done with Lucas. She was done with pretending everything was fine. She was not going to plaster a stupid grin on her face and play Serrano or even worse, fight for Lucas. No she was going to go numb. Drown her sorrows in some good Jack Daniels. Forget this day until tomorrow and then go to school and pretend like nothing had happened. No scratch that. She was going to pretend that none of them existed. Just ignore them. Ignore it all and never respond to their pleads or questions or musings. Silence. It was golden, was it not? Maybe the guilt would consume them both until they knew an ounce of the pain she was feeling right now. And if not, maybe they would finally know what it felt like to be ignored.

_Stupid boy. Stupid girl. Stupid Peyton. Stupid high school drama._

"Yes, stupid indeed," Peyton mumbled as she threw herself on her bed. The glass of Jack Daniels shaking a bit on her nightstand. She grabbed the glass full of colored liquid and swirled it twice for good measure. She swallowed the contents in one try. The only signs of its existence were the two beads of alcohol lingering on her lips. Her tongue swiped carelessly to dot away the drops. A long sigh passed over her lips as she poured another shot. She raised her glass, toasting to the webcam that was facing her as she sat Indian style on her bed. Who knew who was watching her tonight? She would bet a million dollars it wasn't Lucas. He was busy fucking Brooke. The images in her mind made her wince involuntarily. She was strong, but she'd be the first to admit she was hurt as well.

"To Brooke and Lucas," she whispered bitterly, "The ones I love." She tipped her glass a little before downing the drink. "Loved," she corrected, a sardonic smile crossing her face. Another shot was poured.

"And this is to new beginnings," she said proudly, her grin never fading. Her eyes flickered with sadness over the top of her cup as she felt the liquid slide across her throat. It burnt more than all the other ones combined.

They had started this stupid fucking game. Now she would finish it. They had created a monster. A woman hell bent on making them pay. And she would do it the cleverest way she knew possible. By doing nothing at all.

_Dont believe in love_

_Dont believe in hate_

_Dont believe in anything_

_That you cant waste_

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So that's it. Umm next chapter should be a bit longer. We'll see. Hope you enjoyed it!


	2. Labels

A/N: Hello all. So I'm sorry about the wait on this chapter. I've just been so wrapped up in Nothing and Everything and Life Happens that I forgot about my mini-fic. I really like this one too. It also doesn't help that we have happy LP on OTH. How am I supposed to write LP angst when I get to watch cookie dough fights and little make-out scenes?? Not that I'm complaining…anyways I'm rambling. I hope you enjoy this chapter. I had to watch 1.09 a billion times to get myself angry enough to write it. lol.

Disclaimer: I don't own any of it.

Chapter Two: Labels

Dull pain. The achy, unquenchable kind flooded Peyton's senses as soon as she opened her eyes. That combined with the heavy pulsating that was assaulting her brain made for one of the worst mornings Peyton could remember. It may have even surpassed the pain she felt when her mother had passed away. This pain she'd have to face alone, no dad or Brooke to help her through it. Not that they were much help, but to face the pain alone would be different.

The plan was still calculating in her head. The minor details of how to deal with Brooke and Lucas. She didn't know what was the right way. The smart thing to do. The proper thing. But frankly, she didn't care what was right or proper or smart. She wanted to do what would make others feel her pain. Call it petty. Call it cruel and bitchy. Call it whatever you might want to. Peyton didn't care. She was tired of being hurt and stepped on. She just once wanted someone else to feel it.

"Good morning, world," Peyton mumbled sarcastically as she tumbled out of bed. She stretched her arms over her head before peaking at her dresser. Two empty bottles of Jack Daniels sat there.

"Wow, I drank a lot." She shook her head, trying to erase the feeling of her hangover. It was all in vain. The headache wasn't going. It was her little reminder of her "stupid" actions last night. She tried hard to rationalize with herself as she headed for the shower that the only thing stupid she had done was spilled her heart out to Lucas, but deep down she knew the alcohol binge wasn't a great idea either. Her stubbornness would always win though and she'd continue to believe that her "way" was best.

The shower was probably one of the few "good ideas" she'd had lately. She was achy and tired, and the feel of the warm droplets running down her body made her forget for a little. In the shower, she focused on the tedious task of washing her hair and shaving her legs. She didn't have to think about anything else, like Brooke or Lucas. Nope.

But as soon as she stepped out of the tub and wrapped her towel around her, Brooke and Lucas returned. No matter how hard she tried to focus on drying her hair or brushing her teeth. She was midway through the latter process when she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She could see why Lucas didn't want her. Her complexion was far too pale. Her eyes had bags under them. Her nose was pointed. Her lips were like little lines in comparison to the rest of her face. She was far too skinny. She had no breasts. She looked weak and fragile and scared. No man wanted that. She cast her eyes downward in shame.

"No one wants you, Peyton," she whispered as she threw her hair up into a ponytail. She secured it tightly, checking it in the mirror. She was once again faced with her reflection, her own tired eyes staring back at her, "No one can have you either, Peyton."

She realized she was crazy for talking to herself. But who else did she really have?

--------

She was approaching school, the hellish building that stood tall, taunting and mocking her. The building always looked like a prison to her. The windows' had a strange bars running up and down them. They supposedly kept the heat in but Peyton always believed that was just a ruse. It was a prison. No doubt about that.

Her usual spot was empty and the cars around it had yet to arrive. She was tempted to park in the middle of two spots just to piss people off, but she resisted the urge. No need to make other people suffer just because she was in a bad mood. This place was hell enough for everyone. She turned off the car, the blaring music suddenly ceasing leaving nothing but odd silence around her. She slumped onto the steering wheel, tears threatened her eyes. She couldn't do this. She couldn't face this day.

Taking a shaky breath, she pulled her head back up. She didn't have a choice. She had to do this. She quickly ran a hand through her curls tugging them back off her face. Turning to her passenger seat she grabbed her messenger bag, sliding her CD back into it. When she turned to her left to exit the vehicle, she spotted the last person she wanted to see, crouched next to her car.

Her eyes met his for a mere second before she quickly looked straight ahead. Stupid ass. Didn't he know he was supposed to stay away from her? Well, no matter. He'd soon figure that out.

"Hey Peyton," he said softly. _Did he expect a response? _"I just wanted to say I'm sorry. I didn't know you were coming over. I thought…"

It was around this point that Peyton blocked him out. _Un-fucking-believable_. He was really making it easy for her to hate him. There was no apology for what he did. Only an apology for getting caught. And she knew if she paid attention to what he was saying she'd just have even more reasons to hurt, so she resolved to just catch certain words. She thought she heard something about "having fun" and "tequila" and "bar." Was he really talking about his date with Brooke right now? What the hell did he think he was doing?

Wait, she heard her name along with something about "connection" and "friend"…Friend? He wanted to be her friend? _Un-fucking-believable._ He was the one chasing her, wasn't he? He broke her and Nathan up! He'd been watching her since freshman year. He wanted "us," didn't he? What the hell was all that then?

"Peyton? Are you even listening?" Lucas asked, somewhat sadly.

_Un-fucking-believable._ He had no right to be sad. She didn't answer him, just kept looking forward. She was gathering the courage to look at him. To put back up those walls she had owned against him. The ones he had tried to see past so many times. Fuck that. She'd beat him this time.

"Peyton?" he asked one more time. Peyton finally turned to look at him, the coldest glare she could muster fixed on her face. Her eyes were narrowed, her lips trembling somewhat as they pursed. Lucas seemed blown away by her coldness. He could see the anger present in her eyes. Behind that anger, he could see the pain and frustration and total disappointment she held. It was all bottled up ready to burst out and crush him. The walls would keep it in for only so long.

"Peyton, I'm sorry." She rolled her eyes and curled her fists into balls. She wanted so bad to just hit him. He wasn't sorry. He was just guilty. There was a difference. "Can I just-"

"Hey hot shot! Get the hell out of the way so I can park my car!" Peyton's eyes snapped to see the guy who usually parked next to her glaring mutinously at Lucas.

"We'll talk about this later," Lucas promised. Peyton rolled her eyes once more. She didn't want to talk about it. She wanted him to go away. Lucas walked towards school, sending a glare at the guy who made him leave. Peyton waited until the car next to her was parked before she got out of her car, ready to storm inside. When she reached the trunk of her car, she saw the guy next to her approach his own trunk.

The guy who parked next to her was A.J. Hopps. He was a transfer freshman year and the minute he got in school everyone fell in love with him. He was gorgeous. Blonde hair. Green eyes. Muscular. Charming smile. He was the complete package. However, soon after his arrival, word got out about the other side of Mr. Hopps. He was into drugs and alcohol. He was crude and rude. His temper was very short and very fiery. He was violent as well, fighting with anyone that dared to challenge him or even looked at him the wrong way. He could give two shits what anyone around him thought and that's why he could care less when most of the school labeled him too wild to be considered popular. In a word, A.J. Hopps was a dangerous person. He couldn't be trusted.

"Sorry I made your stalker leave, but this is my spot," he said simply.

"It's fine," Peyton said grabbing her backpack and a cardboard box, "I didn't want him here anyway."

"I kind of saw that from where I was at. I don't blame you. He's a douche."

"How eloquent," Peyton said sarcastically.

"Everyone here's a douche. Even you I'm sure."

"Thanks."

"Just calling it like I see it."

"You're an ass," Peyton said, "I shouldn't be surprised. All men are asses."

"Yeah, but at least I don't pretend not to be one like stalker boy."

"Whatever."

"You're a bitch," the guy said, "But then again, I shouldn't be surprised. All women are bitches." Peyton glared at him.

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

"A.J. Hopps."

"I know that. You're in my English class."

"Right, and you're Peyton Sawyer, that total bitch," he smirked.

"What do you have against me again?" Peyton asked rolling her eyes.

"Nothing."

"Well I'm not in the mood for being insulted thank you."

"Then why are you still here?" he said smugly. Peyton looked up at him and glared.

"See you in English class," she said walking away.

--------------

Her locker smelled. Not like a particularly foul smell exactly. It was more a flowery mist. But the scent was repugnant because it smelled like a bouncy brunette who she currently loathed. To be reminded of her was just cruel. God she could almost hear her voice when she inhaled, the scent was so powerful. Or maybe it wasn't the smell…

"Oh my gosh! P. Sawyer, you have to hear about my night." _No thanks, I'd rather shoot myself in the head, _Peyton thought sardonically. Brooke began to ramble off about playing pool and tattoos and something about an alley.

"And so he leaned in-" She needed to shut her up. Hearing this was killing her.

"God Brooke, you're such a slut," Peyton said finally cutting her "friend" off. It wasn't said in the joking way that they used all the time. It was flat out meant to be cruel and Brooke couldn't ignore it.

"What?" she said timidly, looking around her to see if anyone had heard Peyton. Peyton chuckled internally. _As if they'd be shocked to hear she's a slut._

"You heard me. You're a slut. It's not like it's a shocking revelation."

"Where the hell is this coming from? Is this about when you found us last night?"

"Nope. Just stating facts. You're a slut. I'm a bitch. Lucas is an ass. Nathan is…well another ass. Haley's a prude. We all have our little labels, we just need to stick to them. So, I'm sticking to mine. I've been way too nice lately, don't you think?"

"Peyton," Brooke said, "What is wrong with you?"

"And you definitely need to stop playing the concerned friend role. It doesn't suit you. You just stick to slut, okay?" Peyton said in a patronizing tone, "Oh and here. This is yours."

"What?" Brooke whispered looking in the box. "This is all my stuff."

"Yeah, see, I've decided that not only am I tired of you playing the concerned friend role, I'm tired of you pretending to be my friend at all."

"I am your friend," Brooke said firmly, "I love you, P. Sawyer. You're the most important person in my life."

"Sure. Right," Peyton said slamming her locker shut. It caused Brooke to jump back a little. "I don't need you in my life, Brooke. I'm sick of you. You're a lying bitch, a two-faced slut and a horrible friend and I could care less how much you claim to love me. So now go run off and fuck Lucas so you can forget about how your parents don't love you and how no one else will ever love you either."

Peyton walked away, leaving a stunned and broken Brooke holding a box of her old stuff. It was half way down the hall when Peyton realized her actions hadn't made her feel any better. The hurt look on Brooke didn't make the pain go away. It made it worse. But it was too late. What was done was done.

---------

English class. The only class she had with both Brooke and Lucas. She had yet to see Brooke since the incident this morning, but rumor around school was that she had been crying all morning in the girl's bathroom. Peyton had obviously hit a nerve. As for Lucas, she had seen him. He had even confronted her, wondering what she had done to Brooke, but he was greeted with silence.

Now she sat in the front row, a seat ahead of Lucas, waiting for class to start and hopefully quickly end. Brooke had entered early, choosing to sit next to Lucas. Peyton wondered if she had done it just to piss her off or if maybe there was something going on she didn't know. The thought made her sick. Lucas hadn't tried to talk to her since she arrived. Instead he focused on cheering up Brooke, who Peyton could tell was miserable. She wished she could feel guilty for that. But she just felt numb.

The bell rang, but no teacher was present so no order fell over the class. No one even noticed when A.J. snuck into the room, a mischievous grin on his face. He took the last seat available. The one in front of Brooke, next to Peyton.

"Hey bitch," he said, sliding into his seat. Peyton couldn't help but chuckle.

"A.J," she greeted somewhat noncommittally. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. A.J. didn't seem to mind though. He turned to the window and cracked it open. Peyton watched with furrowed eyebrows as he pulled out a pack of cigarettes and lit one up without a care.

"What happens when the teacher gets here and sees you smoking?" Peyton said in a monotone, not trying to sound like a prude.

"He won't get here. I locked him in the janitors closet."

"Really?" Peyton said, quirking an eyebrow in disbelief.

"I wouldn't be smoking if I didn't. Heaven forbid I get kicked out of class," he said somewhat sarcastically.

"What if the sprinklers go off?" she said pointing to the little devices hanging above the class.

"That's why I have my hand hanging out the window," A.J. said rolling his eyes. He glanced back at Brooke and Lucas who were eyeing him with disdain.

"Yeah well whatever," Peyton muttered, searching her bag for her ipod. If the teacher wasn't going to show up, she might as well drift away into her own world.

"So I have to ask," A.J. began, slowly moving his gaze off of the two people behind him and back to Peyton. "Are the rumors true?"

"What rumors?" Peyton said uninterested as she moved to put the ear buds in.

"The ones that say your stalker is fucking your best friend," he said bluntly in a voice loud enough that Brooke and Lucas must have heard.

Peyton didn't look back at the two of them, as much as she wanted to. She instead snapped her eyes up to meet A.J. He was grinning in amusement, and the smile was nothing warm. It almost made her shudder. She wondered how she was supposed to answer that.

"News travels fast I guess," she said quietly, and she cursed how sad her voice sounded. She looked down at her ipod and tried to shuffle through her list of songs for something loud and obnoxious to clear her head.

"See, that's why I tell girls putting out is better in the long run. If you had just put out, stalker boy wouldn't have lost interest. Learn from your best friend. Sluts always win."

As he said the last words, he was no longer looking at Peyton but at Brooke. Peyton didn't know what to do. Everything in her was telling her this boy was an asshole who needed to be put in his place. She needed to fight him. But then she realized what he said wasn't exactly false. She walked away. Lucas lost interest. Brooke fucked him. She won.

"You're right."

"You'll soon find out I always am," A.J. grinned, as he saw Lucas trying hard to restrain himself from leveling him. "Want to give the slut thing a go with me?"

Peyton motioned for him to come closer. He raised an eyebrow before quickly discarding his cigarette out the window so he could lean forward and rest his elbows on his knees. Peyton moved over the side of her desk chair bringing her lips even with his left ear, allowing Brooke and Lucas to watch her little display. She was going to teach them all a lesson.

"I will never, ever change who I am," she said in a clear tone, "even if it means I have to lose every single time." She drew back a little to look him in the eye. "Besides I don't want a guy who fucks sluts." It wasn't directed at him and all four of them knew it.

"Your loss," he shrugged leaning back, an amused look on his face.

Peyton went back to her music, missing the complete looks of disappointment and hurt on Lucas and Brooke's faces respectively. Though she would have to be a fool to not know they were there.

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Okay, so you should know that I hate putting original characters in fanfics. They tend to seem useless or cliché. But A.J. is necessary. Believe me he's not going to be a Peyton love interest. He does serve a purpose though. Oh and if you're pissed at Peyton...remember I warned you last chapter. She's not very nice in this story. lol.


	3. Silence is Golden

A/N: Wow…the response to last chapter was awesome. Y'all must have liked it more than I thought you would. But I'm glad. As of now, this is my only LP fic on the shelf (Life Happens is more BN than LP). So I'm really gonna be putting a lot into it…Enjoy this chapter! And if you don't mind, spread the love and drop me a review!

Disclaimer: It's not mine, if it was, everything would be like early season one.

Chapter Three: Silence is Golden

"Emotional stress over long periods of time can lead to what is called a nervous breakdown. Some people don't even realize they're having a breakdown. They can last anywhere from minutes to days to sometimes even weeks or months at a time. The victim will be on edge leading up to penultimate point, meaning you can expect uncharacteristic and short behavior. If you know someone who-"

Peyton laughed cynically shutting the TV off. Of course, she knew someone suffering from that. She lived with the person every day of her life. She had been having a nervous breakdown since the day her mother died. She was a nine year old girl. Most at her age would somewhat comprehend death and shed tears, waiting months before the gravity of it all set in. But Peyton understood it better than anyone. She cried for weeks on end. She knew the moment her mother closed her eyes for the last time that she wasn't coming back. And from that point forward, she didn't let anyone in. Because she refused to feel pain like that again.

Nine years old and already feeling the need to shut the world out. It was a crying shame. She was a beautiful child, a beautiful, perfect child who's face and eyes reeked innocence. At eight, she could have passed for the ideal picture of bliss. At nine, she was the ideal picture of broken. Something so beautiful and yet so painful to look at. Because those emerald eyes held such depth, such pain. Pain that most twenty or thirty years older didn't even hold. It turned most people off to her. They were afraid to approach her.

All except Brooke and Lucas off course, but Peyton really didn't want to think about that. She was convinced that Brooke only approached her because she liked breaking rules. Brooke was the type of child who people told not to eat chocolate before bed and yet she'd make it a point to sneak a Frango mint no matter if she was stuffed from dinner just to prove a point. At fourteen, her dad told her no boyfriends, so Brooke brought over little Bobby DuLaschey with his innocent brown eyes and made out with him on the couch, knowing she'd get caught. And when she did, she called up Peyton in triumph. "I won. They've given up on that silly rule" Peyton remembered her words. And she remembered them now. It was all a game to Brooke Davis. Maybe that's why she decided to break another rule. Betraying her best friend. Maybe Brooke Davis couldn't help it.

Lucas, well he just wanted something different, right? He had been a boy deprived of everything material and not needed in life. His mother had raised him so that the only thing he saw as rewards were compassion, love and kindness. He didn't live for the material. Yet, he couldn't help but lust over something that was more. He begged for something unquenchable. That was her. So he chased because she was his brother's girl. She was something he couldn't just have because he deserved it. Like it or not, she wasn't going to just fall into his arms because he treated her right. It was something he had to work for. But in the end, the hot and cold game got old for him and when she was no longer his brother's girl, when she became something he could see himself touching and holding in the near distance, he gave up. Just like that.

Deep down she knew it was all lies. But they were the lies she had to tell herself to make it through the betrayal. Because if she stopped and saw Lucas and Brooke as humans rather than chess players moving her about like a pawn, she would realize that she was hurting them. That her actions were not simply to make everything all tied up at one. They were bringing her down. She, who prided herself on taking the high road, who chastised Brooke for her scheming and gossiping, had become that which she hated. It was one thing to be a bitch who threw meaningless sharp comments. It was another thing to intend to hurt. To make it your purpose. Something on that cold night at Lucas's had made her snap.

She was suddenly tired. It was only three o'clock though. She had just escaped school and she doubted really if she could sleep throughout the night if she passed out now. She would probably wake up around ten. And then she'd be faced with a dark, cold room to stare around while the seconds ticked by to another day of facing her worst enemy. Herself.

She couldn't help it though when her eyes slowly drooped closed. The weight of the day burying her in a thick haze of unconsciousness. She felt herself drifting off even when the sound of her front door opening should have jerked her awake. Instead, she was so out of it that the thought of just anyone walking into her house didn't even bother her.

-------

He watched her with baited breath. She was by far the most beautiful creature he had ever encountered. Her presence invoked a fear deep in his soul. He had never met someone quite like her. She was in need of constant reassurance yet she never would admit it. She fished for compliments, but she never asked for them. She rolled her eyes at sweet and caring words, but she never asked for them to stop. She was a restless, angst ridden soul waiting for something to set her free. He was supposed to be that thing.

But no one is perfect, and he had failed her terribly this time. He could see the hurt and the pain in her eyes that night. He kept seeing even when he closed his eyes. He had seen her broken before. He had thought he saw her at her worst. But last night, that was her worst. She didn't shed one tear in front of him. Not a single drop.  
Her face just dropped. It lost all hope and the little innocence she had left.

But here, in sleep, she was calm. She almost looked like she did when she had told him she loved him, before Brooke had sauntered out. God, he could still remember how bright her smile was when she said it. How her eyes just shined with optimism. So unlike the Peyton he knew. So welcome. So short lived.

It was only in sleep he'd see it again because when she woke up she'd put back up her front and walls. She'd spit cruel, callus words to Brooke and ignore him like he was the dirt under her shoes. He deserved it, he was sure, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. The girl he loved hated him.

Yes, he did love her. He just didn't want to get hurt. She had crushed him that night at the basketball party. He saw Brooke as a way to stay close to Peyton and maybe a chance at something normal. What he and Peyton had was not normal. It was complex and deep and scary. Yeah that was it in a nutshell. He was scared of what they had. But now, he was even more scared of what she had transformed into over night. She had become bitterness embodied and he refused to let her slip into a dark hole, to alienate herself from everything she had come to know.

He sat across from her bed, on a stiff stool missing a cushion. He admired his beautiful girl from afar, just like he had done since freshman year. It had never felt this painful to sit and watch. To sit and watch and wait.

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Someone was watching her. She could feel it though her eyes were still clamped shut. Not only was someone watching her, they were close. She panicked, feeling her heartbeat speed up rapidly. Who the hell would be in her room watching her sleep? The thought of a voyeur in her room scared her. She curled into her covers more.

"Peyton," a voice called.

_Oh shit, _she thought, _they know I'm awake._

"Peyton, are you up?"

_Shit! Pretend you're asleep!_ Peyton stayed perfectly still, trying to make her breathing appear evened out. Unfortunately, Lucas saw her hands moving under the blanket, and he knew she was awake.

"You can't fake me out, Peyton."

Peyton knew that voice and she held off the urge to groan. She cracked open her eyes and sure enough she was right. That wasn't a voyeur. That was her stalker.

She sat up and scratched her head, a frown settling on her face. His eyes were like magnifying glasses burning a hole into her face. That stare was so deadly and she hated herself for being so affected by him. She cocked her head to the side and raised an eyebrow hoping for him to get the message. She wasn't talking to him.

"Good morning Sleeping Beauty," he said, with a smile. She could see how nervous he was. His voice shook just enough to give it away and his hands were fumbling in his lap. He could hardly look you in the eye. "So umm, I just wanted to tell you that I don't blame you for being mad at me, but you really shouldn't take it out on Brooke. She's been your best friend since you were little, and I shouldn't have come between you two."

There were so many things that Peyton wanted to say to that. So much to dispute. So much anger and frustration. He just didn't get it, did he? She rolled her eyes at him and glared at him hoping that would be enough of a clue for him to just back off and leave her alone forever. Or at the very least just stop saying the B-word…Brooke.

"So I may be a little slow, but I think I've picked up on the fact that you aren't talking to me." Maybe he wasn't as stupid as she thought. She figured it would have taken him a couple more days to figure that out.

"But I know you hear me, Peyt. I know that all this talking that I'm doing isn't in vain. And pretty soon, you're not gonna be able to ignore me anymore. And you'll have to say something, even if it's to yell at me. Believe me, I know there's a lot you could yell at me about." The shrill sound of a phone interrupted what seemed to be the buildup to a prepared Lucas Scott speech, one that would build her up only to knock her down later on when she remembered the words…alone.

The phone just kept ringing, the sound piercing through the tension between them. She wanted to answer, but she didn't want him to hear her voice. It was some sort of pride in the fact that she was keeping something from him. Then again, she figured the loss of hearing her voice probably wasn't a big deal to him. Little did she know, it did kill him.

If she let the answer machine get it, it would probably be her dad, postponing his return home. Then, she wouldn't be able to keep the disappointed look off her face. He'd see it and he'd feel guilty. He'd say something nice and sweet to make her feel better, and against her better judgment, she wouldn't be able to keep herself from smiling at it. Her resolve would break, and she'd set herself up for another break.

"Are you gonna answer that?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow at him wondering if he was really expecting an answer. The phone continued to ring and finally the machine picked up.

_Hi, you've reached the Sawyers. We're obviously not here so you know the drill. Name. Number. Brief message. We'll hopefully get back to you, but no promises._ A shrill beep followed.

"Bitch, darling, it's A.J. that charming fellow from English class. Before you even ask, I got your number through my connections. Besides men just seem to know these things. Do you give your number out a lot? Maybe I was wrong on the whole slut thing. Anyways, you being a slut is not the reason I called, although my offer still stands. I called however to offer you an invitation to my party this Saturday. It's at my house-"

Peyton watched Lucas's face during the entire conversation. His anger was more than evident as he glared unconsciously at the phone. He judged him with each word, and shuddered and winced each time a curse or sexual jest came out of A.J.'s mouth. Suddenly, Peyton felt compelled to defend the man on the phone though she didn't entirely trust him herself. She just wanted Lucas to be wrong for once. So, she answered the phone, placing it on speaker. It would be fun to watch Lucas squirm.

"Sorry A.J. I don't answer my phone," she said in a monotone.

"Can't blame you for that. Do you get a lot of gentlemen callers ever since you broke up with the ogre?"

"Ha ha, you're so funny," Peyton said dryly.

"I try. So we're you listening to my message because I hate repeating myself."

"Yeah. Something about a party and me being a slut."

"I didn't say you were a slut. I said you were a bitch and that you're slut status is in question."

"Right. Whatever."

"So will you be joining me at my party then?"

"Umm," Peyton said tapping her fingers slowly on the table. She avoided Lucas's eyes, not wanting to feel his disapproval. "Why should I?"

"Because I can give you a good fuck to forget all about stalker boy."

Peyton cursed at A.J.'s bluntness and tried hard not to glance up and see "stalker boy's" reaction.

"You know a little subtleness never hurt anyone."

"Subtlety is just a way to divert intentions from honesty. I want to sleep with you. There, I'm being honest."

"Well, I don't want to sleep with you, thank you very much."

"That's beside the point. Are you coming or not?" Peyton looked up to meet Lucas's eyes and she saw the pleading there. He was almost begging her to say no. Those baby blues were trying so hard to convince her she was worth more than this. But if he had wanted to convince her, he should have showed her by his own actions.

"Pick me up at seven," she said after a long pause. She watched as Lucas's face fell.

"Nice try. A.J. Hopps doesn't pick up women."

"You'll make an exception for me."

"You better be worth," he said somewhat lewdly. Peyton swore she saw Lucas's fists furl a little.

"I am." She hung up the phone, a somewhat seductive grin on her face though A.J. couldn't see it. It was more there for Lucas anyway. Strained silence filled the air.

"You're worth more than this," Lucas said quietly.

"We've been through this conversation before," Peyton whispered, ignoring her plan to never speak to him again. She needed to just get this off her chest so he could leave her alone. She brought her gaze to meet his. "Remember? Why did I stay with Nathan? You seemed to think that there was someone better out there for me. I'm almost positive you thought that was you, but now, I'm pretty sure you've come off your high horse and realized you're just like the rest of them. I don't deserve better especially seeing how naïve I was to think you were any different."

"Peyton, I-"

"You are who you are, Lucas. You're a guy and just like all the guys I've ever met you can't handle a girl like me. I have real problems and issues that I need to confront and all you're looking for is a cute little high school girlfriend whose biggest drama in life is what shoes to wear tonight. You've got that now so don't even bother worrying about me. I don't want your pity or your empathy."

"Just let me explain."

"No thank you," she said calmly. Her whole speech had been said in such a soft, broken tone that Lucas found himself inching closer just to hear her. They now stood next to each other, bodies barely touching. She looked up to meet his eyes. "Please, go."

"I'm sorry I hurt you. I-"

"I've heard it all before."

"I'm not like Nathan or A.J., Peyton. I'm not that way. If you just understood-"

"No, Lucas you're not like them. You're worse," Peyton whispered, a single tear rolling down her cheek. Lucas nodded at her admission, realizing that he wouldn't be able to just talk his way out of this one. He'd need to prove to her that he was a good guy. That would take a lot more than one conversation. So he left her room, like she asked, turning back once at the door.

"I'll make it up to you," he promised. Peyton waited to collapse on her knees until she heard her front door shut. Then, she let out a stream of tears.

"Why can't you just go away instead?" she whispered to no one.

-----

Peyton speaks to Lucas!!! We're making progress --looks around-- Well for every step forward though Peyton takes a step back...hehehe


	4. Guilty Conscience

A/N: Reviewers, you are awesome hugs all around I'm glad people like this story. I didn't know how it would be received but so far it's been all positive so yay! Not much to say here. I just hope you enjoy it! Remember, reviews are always appreciated!

Disclaimer: I don't own Vicious Pink or their song Confess nor do I own Lifehouse's Hanging by a Moment. Now, One Tree Hill…that I own :D…oh who the hell am I kidding?

Chapter Four: Guilty Conscience

_I confess, I'm hypnotized _

_Although I know that it's not wise _

_For guys like you, don't stay around _

_You want to win each heart in town _

Brooke Davis was not used to questioning her actions. Her life had always been simple. She'd always go left when others told her to go right. She went after what she wanted no matter what the price was. She was ruthless and never backed down from a challenge. She had made girls cry, boys ache and parents curse. Never, not once in her pretty life, did she ever second guess herself. So why, right now, did she feel so guilty?

"Hey," Lucas said as he approached his locker. His girlfriend was waiting there for him like she had for the past two days, a worried smile on her face.

"Hey back," she said, as cheerily as possible. Lucas saw right through it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing." She bit her lip as she leaned against the locker next to him, holding her books close to her chest. "Just thinking."

"About?" He was preoccupied with figuring which books he need for his next class, but he tried to listen to her nonetheless.

"Peyton." The name nearly died on her lips, but somehow through the mess and confusion it slipped out.

"Peyton?" Lucas asked in disbelief. He kept his head buried in his locker so that she couldn't see his amazement.

"Yeah. Umm, I know she's been a super bitch to me lately, but I'm worried about her."

"You're a good person, Brooke Davis," Lucas smiled as he retracted his head from the locker.

"No, I'm not," she whispered, closing her eyes.

"Why do you say that?" His voice now matched her tone. They were huddled close in what almost looked like an intimate moment, bar the fact they were talking about the girl they both loved and the wrong they'd done her.

"Because I knew she loved you and I still went after this-"

"Brooke-"

"No! Don't say it's okay! You and I both know it's not. We both know what she's like. She's closed off and hard to read and she says yes when she really means no. I should have known that us being together was not okay."

Lucas sighed. He knew she was right, but he also knew he was just as guilty as she was for all of this. He strung both of them along. He reached over and tilted her chin up with his index finger.

"We're in this together," he said simply, "And we'll find a way to fix this."

Meanwhile, the sickly sweet sight was reeking havoc on the already weak Peyton Sawyer. It was bad enough she knew they were together. She didn't like watching them act so tenderly. But there was no escaping it. They were only down the hallway, a few rows of lockers separating them. And whenever she glanced at her schedule posted on the door, she could see them out of the corner of her eye. She growled at the door.

She wasn't the only one who was watching the interaction. Down the hallway, A.J. was taking in the whole scene with amusement dancing in his eyes. He saw the way everyone seemed miserable and in a sick way, he loved it. Popular kids deserved to suffer every once and a while. However, he thought that seeing the curly blonde suffer anymore than necessary would be a crying shame.

A.J. was a smart kid. He could read people. He could manipulate situations to his best advantage using nothing more than pure honesty and a charming grin. Right now, he knew that Brooke and Lucas were talking about Peyton. He knew that Peyton thought that she was witnessing something emotional between the couple, but really it was just pure guilt that had bonded them together. So seeing this little situation, he figured out a way to soothe Peyton's pain and use it to his best advantage. Well, that was a lie. He wouldn't be soothing her pain. He'd be helping her get a little revenge. It was temporary solution.

He swooped down upon her giving her little room for complaint. His hand latched onto hers and he pulled her forward to his locker which happened to be two or three over from Lucas's. If Lucas and Brooke didn't see them coming, they definitely heard them. A.J. pushed Peyton into a locker and placed his lips to her ear.

"What are you doing?" Peyton asked.

"We're making Brooke and Lucas pay."

"How exactly?" Peyton bit her lip. She knew how they were doing it. His hands on her hips. Hers pressed against his chest. They were creating their own intimate moment.

"Oh you're a smart girl. See, from this angle, it looks like I'm doing nefarious things to your neck."

"Nefarious? That's an awfully big word, Hopps."

"I like big words," he said. He turned his head a little so he could catch Brooke and Lucas's eyes, which were staring at him with disgust and anger. He smirked and pressed a chaste kiss on the top of her ear. He brought his head back to look in her eyes, but he kept their bodies pressed close together.

"You're making me shiver," Peyton whispered.

"I could make your body do worse things," he wiggled his eyebrows. The comment earned him a good slap on the chest. However, it wasn't the shove that surprised him. It was the small smile that graced her lips. "Oh dear God, is that what I think it is?"

"What?"

"Peyton Sawyer is smiling." She rolled her eyes but she couldn't keep her grin from widening at the accusation.

"Maybe," she said.

"I, Aaron James Hopps, made the ice bitch smile!" he proclaimed to the whole hallway, his arms raised over his head in triumph. People just stared oddly at him, but a few people clapped him on the back as they passed and Peyton wondered if her smiling was really such a rare thing.

"I'm glad you're happy," Peyton said sarcastically.

"No, I'll only be happy when I have you under me wiggling and moaning in exta-" His comment was cut short.

"Mr. Hopps!" a teacher yelled as she approached them. She was a little old woman in her mid sixties. She was plump with tight ash colored curls and an upturned nose, "Foul language in the hallway is frowned upon!"

"Wait a second! I didn't even have a chance to use foul language yet," A.J. argued.

"I believe you referred to Ms. Sawyer as an ice…well you know the word!"

"Whore? Slut?...Was it harlot? I don't remember being that old fashioned…"

"Mr. Hopps! Come with me," the teacher grabbed his arm and began to pull him down the hall.

"Oh I know! It was bitch!" he called as he was dragged away, "Ice bitch! I'll see you in English!" Peyton couldn't help it when she gave him a little wave. Something about A.J. intrigued her, even if it was for all the wrong reasons.

---------

Lucas and Brooke watched as Ms. Harrington dragged A.J. down the hall. They saw the smile Peyton gave him. They saw her turn and glance at them for a moment. They saw her shame and her disappointment. They saw her smile vanquish in only a second. And then they watched as she walked away from them.

Brooke took a deep breath and looked up at Lucas.

"We need to break up," she said firmly.

"Yes, we do."

"Because I love her more than anything in this world," Brooke began. She paused to bite her lip, "and I've wronged her one too many times to let you and I continue. Plus, I'll be damned if I don't know that you love her too. You've been stalking her since we were in freshman year."

"True," Lucas let out a small chuckle.

"So we both love her, and we both know that this A.J. guy can't be good for her. So umm, you need to fight for her and I need to…well I don't know what I can do for now. I think I'll just wait until she cools down some more."

"Okay," Lucas nodded.

"But umm, I want you to know. I think you're one of the sweetest guys in the world and Peyton really deserves someone like you. And on that note," Brooke turned to leave, but Lucas grabbed her arm.

"Brooke," Lucas said, "You'll find the right guy for you."

"Thanks."

------------

_Desperate for changing _

_Starving for truth _

_I'm closer to where I started _

_Chasing after you_

The song was not what she expected to pop on her ipod. However, that's what happens when you put it on shuffle. Random tunes you haven't heard in years like to pop up. Peyton didn't want to hear this song though. It reminded her of Lucas. But if she was honest with herself, every song she heard reminded her of him or Brooke.

It was English class and once again, the teacher was late, along with her man of the hour A.J. She had watched Lucas and Brooke enter. Lucas had given her a soft smile which she ignored, and Brooke had cast her eyes down in shame as she walked past. _Serves her right,_ Peyton thought as she tapped her pencil on her drawing pad. Inspiration had been lacking for her recently. She had plenty of anger and frustration in her system. She just didn't quite understand how she could release it. She thought of drawing that moment at Lucas's house but the thought was just too painful, and every time she tried to start, she wound up smashing her pencil against the pad.

She was so deep in her musings that she didn't even realize when someone pulled her earbud out.

"Lifehouse?" an amused voice whispered in her ear, "I thought better of your taste in music."

"A.J, my music taste is eclectic. It means I like everything." She watched as he took his seat by the window and immediately cracked it open.

"So if I went through that playlist I might find N'SYNC?"

"I said eclectic not insane," Peyton said removing the other earbud from her ear. She watched as he lit up a cigarette, "So I'm guessing you locked our teacher in the closet again?"

"No this time it was another classroom, but you can hardly blame me. The guy walks into my traps."

"Ah right," Peyton nodded. She stole a quick glance back at Lucas and Brooke who were trying hard not to listen in on the conversation in front of them. A.J. followed her gaze.

"Well I have good news for you," he said as he watched her eyes snap back up to meet his.

"Why do I feel this will be innuendo-laced?"

"Not this time, but soon enough," A.J. grinned, "Actually, I was going to say rumor has it that your stalker broke up with the slut. Or the slut broke up with your stalker. Either way, that doomed, sex indulged ship has sailed."

"Am I supposed to do a little dance now?" Peyton scoffed.

"No, you're supposed to pretend it doesn't matter one bit, but when you go home, you'll have a big fat grin on your face because you made sure they never had a chance." A.J.'s words were sharp and quick, but knowing she'd feel guilty if he let them sink in, he kept talking, "What are you doing now?"

"Talking to you," she said, pushing his previous statement to the back of her mind for later processing.

"Besides that," A.J. rolled his eyes, "Is that a drawing pad?"

"Good job, Sherlock. Two points for you."

"Are you going to use it?"

"I would," Peyton shrugged, "If I could find something that moves me."

"Draw me."

"What?"

"Oh dear, did I start speaking Swahili again? I tend to do that from time to-"

"Shut up, smart ass! I just was wondering why you would want me to draw you."

"Because I'm something that moves you," A.J. smirked.

"Well there's the innuendo," Peyton muttered

"Am I too much of a challenge for you?" The smugness of his tone was intentional and Peyton knew it. He was trying to play on her pride and he was doing a fabulous job of it.

"Fine," she sighed turning to face him.

Half and hour later, she was hunched over the pad, shading the curves of his face. She had sketched him leaning against the windowsill, the cigarette falling loosely from his lips. His eyes glazed over as he watched outside. He looked triumphant and powerful in the picture and yet at the same time, she managed to capture a hint of vulnerability she was sure that only she saw. She was about to announce the picture's completion when the door to the classroom swung open. There was their teacher, an angry look etched upon his face.

"A.J, can I have a word?" he said beckoning the boy forward with his hand. A.J. died his cigarette out on the ledge and flicked it outside.

"Oh well, I must have forgotten to lock the windows," he sighed. He glanced over at Peyton as he gathered his stuff up, "I'll have to see the finished product when I pick you up on Friday."

"Bye A.J," Peyton nodded, "Good luck."

"Bye bitch."

She watched him go before turning back to her work. Before she knew it, someone tapped her on the shoulder and a small piece of paper flew into her line of vision. She grabbed the piece from the outstretched hand, without bothering to look back for who sent it. She unfolded the paper.

_I need to talk to you, Peyton. I'll be at your house at five. Promise me you'll hear me out._

She'd make no promises, but she knew it would be pointless anyways when it came to Lucas. She always heard what he said.

_I confess, I'm hypnotized _

_Each time I look into your eyes _

_I try hard to be so cool _

_But end up feeling like a fool _

_I just can't deny it's true _

_I'll always hold the ball for you _

_I confess, I'm hypnotized _

_Although I know that it's not wise_

_----------_

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Review! Oh and yes...this is still an LP fic.


	5. Bargaining, Begging and Brooding

A/N: So this chapter came out sooner than I expected it too. The idea has been brewing in my head for quite some time seeing as I see it as the turning point of the story. For anyone who reads Life Happens, my other fic, an update is on it's way soon. I'm halfway done with it. Anyways, on with the chapter! I hope y'all enjoy! And as always, review. Those little messages really do make my day :D

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or Maybe Tomorrow by the Stereophonics.

Chapter Five: Bargaining, Begging and Brooding

_**I've been down and  
I'm wondering why  
These little black clouds  
Keep walking around  
With me  
With me**_

Panic. Why the hell was she panicking? There was nothing to panic about. It wasn't as if Lucas hadn't been here before. It wasn't like he hadn't attempted to make things right with her. So then why did she feel this overwhelming sense of panic at the thought of him being in her room. Maybe it was the fact that he was no longer with Brooke, or maybe it was that she knew it was coming whereas last time, he had caught her off guard. Or maybe it was that there was a huge part of her that always wanted to grab him by the collar and kiss him senseless. She really hoped it wasn't the last thought.

She sat down on her bed, knees tucked under her chin and arms wrapped around them. This sucked. She hated feeling vulnerable. Bitchiness was what she used to hide that but when it concerned Lucas, vulnerability always seemed to leak through. He could feel it and he thrived on it. She glanced down at her watch. He'd be here any second now.

--------

He stared at his sneakers as they charged up the steps. He had entered the house on his own accord, fearing she wouldn't let him in if he knocked or rang the bell. He knew she didn't want to see him. She was trying to move on and that above all scared him. It had taken so much for him to get her to open up to him, and he'd be damned if he lost all of that without a fight. He'd go to the ends of the earth for this girl and now, he'd have to prove it to her.

He approached her doorway with caution. Through the mirror on her wall, he could see her huddled on her bed. She was curled in a ball, eyes closed and hands covering her face. His heart broke at the sight of her vulnerable state. He sighed and knocked tentatively, ready to face her.

Her eyes snapped up at the noise immediately. She frowned slightly and her walls immediately rose as an angry glare settled on her face. He shoved his hands in his pockets as he wandered into her room.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Lucas." The word sounded like poison sliding off her tongue. He almost winced at it.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"I know. I got your little note," Peyton said rolling her eyes. She watched as he lingered aimlessly at the doorway. "Are you gonna talk or what? I seriously don't have all day."

"Right. I wouldn't want to keep you," he muttered under his breath.

"Are you getting an attitude with me Lucas? Because honestly you have no right-"

"Oh I know by now I have no right to be treated as a human. You've made that perfectly clear to me. I screwed up and I'm gonna have to pay for that for God knows how long."

"You didn't just screw up," Peyton said heatedly standing up, "You fucked up."

"And you didn't Peyton? You ran away from me first and then you got angry when I tried to move on."

"Move on! It had been two days since you basically professed your undying love for me. Then, suddenly you're off screwing my best friend! What happened to the boy who was looking for something more? The guy who wanted it all with someone. I'm pretty sure he wasn't the guy I found fucking my best friend!"

"There was a difference between what I want with you and what I wanted with Brooke."

"Wow! I wonder if Brooke knew you were only looking for sex."

"She did. And that's all she was looking for either."

"Well that changed fast."

"Not really," Lucas sighed, "She and I were never really a couple. We had sex once and then we just kind of hung out."

"I don't need the details," Peyton said coldly.

"Well, you should know them so you don't screw them up in that weird head of yours! Brooke and I were only 'together' because you pushed both of us away!"

"And that's my fault?" Peyton yelled, stomping her foot, "You chose her! Not me! That's not my God damn fault!"

"I didn't choose her! You don't get it."

"Then explain it to me! Explain how you sleeping with my best friend is supposed to be okay! Explain how I'm supposed to accept the fact that I wasn't enough for you! And how I'm just supposed to allow you back into my life like it's nothing. Explain it, Luke because I sure as hell don't get it."

"Peyton," Lucas said slowly as he approached her, grabbing her wrists which had been flailing around dramatically. "I went to Brooke because I was scared. You hurt me so much when you walked away from me. I wasn't ready to set myself up for that hurt again. And Brooke was offering me a chance to forget and I just couldn't pass it up. It was a moment of weakness, but you have to know…I love you."

"No," Peyton said immediately, pulling herself back from his reach though his hands still had her wrists, "No, no, no, no, no!"

"Peyt…"

"No, Luke! You don't love me!" she yelled, "You can't love me! If you loved me, you wouldn't have hurt me. You wouldn't have-"

"I love you," he said softly. She stole a peak at him, her anger rising at the intense sincerity in his eyes. This was the last thing she needed. She pushed against his chest and he stumbled slightly back, but didn't relinquish his grip on her. She pushed again and again but he wouldn't let go.

"Peyton-"

"God! I hate you! I hate you! I fucking hate you," Peyton hissed violently as she banged her fists against his chest after each exclamation. His fingers bruised her wrists, as he tightened his grip on them, trying to make her stop. He could tell already that there would be bruises their within the next few hours.

"Stop it," he growled, placing her hands above her head and pinning her to the nearest wall. She tried to kick or knee him, but his legs pressed up against hers to keep them from reaching anything.

"No!"

"I'm not kidding, Peyton. You need to stop."

"Make me," Peyton whispered.

"I'm doing a pretty good job right now."

"Are you just gonna keep me pinned to the wall for the rest of our lives? Eventually you're gonna have to let go, and when you do-" Peyton challenged. However, before she could even finish her sentence, she found her mouth blockaded by his. It was an underhanded tactic, one she never expected him to use. Therefore, her shock gave him plenty of opportunity to probe her mouth with his tongue, and before she knew it, she felt herself kissing back.

He really hadn't planned to kiss her. God, he knew it was the stupidest thing he could do at the moment. It was just so hard to be standing there pressed against her, her face flushed with anger, her lips parted as she spoke in a low voice. Anger made her sexy and he knew it beforehand, but to put himself in this compromising position where he knew full well that he'd take advantage of it was stupid. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! And yet, it felt so damn good.

Peyton suddenly realized what she was doing. She was kissing the man who had broken her in pieces, betrayed her and gotten all cozy with her best friend. She immediately yanked her hands out of his grasp and pushed him away, making sure to bite his lip before they broke apart. He stumbled backwards, his hand immediately covering his bloody lip.

"Damn it, Peyton," he muttered, not looking at her.

"That's what you get for doing something stupid like kissing me."

"You kissed back," he said defiantly, and he immediately regretted it when he felt the stinging slap of her hand against his cheek.

"Burn in hell, Lucas," she hissed, "And get the fuck out of my house."

"I'm not done with you."

"I'm not your whore that you can use whenever you see fit-"

"I didn't mean it like that. I want to talk to you."

"I don't want to listen to you."

"I don't give a rat's ass. You're going to listen."

"Lucas Scott finally grows a backbone," she faked applause, a sardonic smile gracing her face, "Too bad I've lost interest."

"If you had lost interest, you wouldn't have kissed back." It shut her up, but only for a moment. Then he received another slap. They stood in silence, both trying to even out their breathing.

"You've done enough, Lucas," she said quietly. She sighed looking down at her wrists which burned from his grip.

"Did I hurt you?" he asked worriedly. Her eyes snapped up to meet his.

"Yeah, but the pain in the wrists doesn't even come close to the pain in my heart," she whispered closing her eyes, "Please leave."

"I love you."

"Stop fucking saying that!" Her anger rose as fast at it had faded.

"It's the truth," he said, "And I'm gonna fight for you."

"Don't bother," she said, "I'm moving on. I've already got a date Friday night."

"Yeah, with A.J. Hopps. The biggest jackass in school."

"Judge him all you want," Peyton said, "At least he's honest. It'll be a change of pace from the men I've been going after."

"You know what, Peyt? Have fun Friday," Lucas nodded, "Maybe you can get that no strings attached sex you were looking for." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he saw the mug hurling towards him, crashing a few feet to his left.

"You're a bastard."

"I didn't mean that," he sighed, "I'm just-"

"Jealous?"

"God, Peyt, you have no idea what it's like to watch him touch you like he does at school."

"Hmm, I think I have a little idea," she said rolling her eyes.

"Why are you doing this?" Lucas asked, sitting on the stool for her vanity. His head was perched in his hands. He was so frustrated. He never imagined he would say the things he had said to her. He had always put Peyton on a pedestal, far away from the darker side of his emotions. He sheltered her from that, but now, he just couldn't hold back. She knew how to get to him, how to cut him with her words. It had become harder and harder to ignore.

"Not that I should have to tell you this, but, A.J. and I…we're just friends," Peyton sighed.

"Friends don't stage assaults on other friend's necks in the middle of the hallway."

"Hmm, I'm pretty sure friends don't fuck each other either," Peyton said, pretending to be deep in thought, "But then you claimed Brooke was your friend, right?"

"A.J. is different."

"Right. He's made it quite clear to everyone his intentions for me."

"Is that what you're stuck on? He's honest! Honesty doesn't absolve someone from the intentions they have, even if they're honest about them."

"I'm sorry, but that just confused me," Peyton said shaking her head, "All I heard was 'I'm jealous of A.J. because he's a real man and I'm not,' but I may have misheard."

"You know what, Peyt? If your definition of a real man is someone who's blunt and crude and who will treat you like an object, then you can have A.J."

"Well thanks for your approval."

Her sarcasm burned him and his eyes narrowed at her. He jumped off the stool and stalked towards her slowly. Her eyes flickered with fear and she wondered if she had maybe pushed him too far. The look in his eyes was so fierce and intense that she had to look away.

"Lucas…w-what are you doing?" Peyton stuttered as she backed away from him until she felt the wall behind her.

"Shh," he hushed. She watched him slide in front of her, his hands lingering on her waist. She tried to turn her face away from his, but he wouldn't let her. He took one of his hands and rested it on her cheek, turning it to face him. She took in a shallow breath as he rested his forehead on hers.

"Luke," she trailed off. Her breathing increased rapidly being so close to him. She didn't have enough strength to push him away or even yell at him. She was all out of anger.

"I love you," he said softly, his eyes never leaving hers. He watched as she closed her own eyes and tears built up.

"Don't," she moaned, as a few droplets edged out from underneath her eyelids, tracing a graceful path down her cheek "Don't say that."

"You know it's true," he whispered, "If you didn't believe it and feel it too, you wouldn't be crying right now." He kissed her cheek before backing away. "You can take as much time as you want. You can go to all the parties A.J. wants to take you to. Because at the end of the day, I know that you'll come back to me. And I'll be here waiting for you."

She watched with her mouth agape as he walked out of her room. She was frozen in her spot, unable to move from her position until she heard the front door close. It jilted her a bit and her hand rose to touch her cheek where he had kissed her. She was in too deep.

-----------

Haley James tugged the cuffs of her sleeves nervously. If anyone told her that she'd be here a month ago, she would have laughed in her face. But here she was at Peyton Sawyer's house, preparing to knock on her door and talk to her about…A.J. Hopps of all people. Lucas had mentioned Peyton's interest in the green eyed bad boy, and Haley's interest had been piqued. She cared about Peyton. The girl had become one of her good friends, one of her few female friends in fact.

She tucked a strand of her auburn hair behind her ear. Maybe she should just forget the whole thing. What if she was in one of her moods? The ones that Lucas had talked about. Haley wasn't good with bitchy people. She could hardly deal with Lucas's brooding. But then again, a friend is a friend. _She needs you, Haley. Everyone else has abandoned her._

"Stupid conscience," Haley muttered as she rang the doorbell and knocked twice. She heard movement coming from the kitchen and the shadow of the blonde appeared at the door. The sound of the lock being undone kicked Haley's senses into high gear. There was no turning back now. The door flew open, and she came face to face with Peyton.

"Hey," Peyton said, evenly, no trace of emotion in her voice.

"Hi!" Haley's voice came out too perky too be considered natural, and Peyton saw right through it.

"What's wrong, Haley?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, it's just you're at my house, and it's ten thirty on a school night."

"Yeah, well, are you busy? Because I can go if you're busy. The last thing I want to do is bother you when-"

"Slow down," Peyton said, grabbing the brunette's shoulders and squaring them, "You sure you're okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," Haley nodded, "I just wanted to talk to you."

"If it's about Lucas, I've really had enough of him."

"Umm no. You and Lucas have to work those things out on your own."

"Is it about Nathan? What did the jackass do to you?"

"Nathan's been fine," Haley chuckled, "It's actually about A.J."

Peyton's eyebrow quirked, "Are you sure Lucas didn't send you?"

"Nope," Haley said, "Now can I come in?"

"Oh." Peyton shifted her weight so she was no longer leaning on the door frame and allowed the girl to pass, "Sure."

-------------

Haley glanced around the room with a discerning eye. The drawings on Peyton's wall were exactly what she expected. Dark stuff that really didn't make much sense. The whole room gave off an eclectic feeling to it. She settled herself down on the rolling chair at Peyton's computer desk. Her eyes wandered to the camera there and she self-consciously tugged down her shirt.

"Don't worry about it," Peyton said as she entered the room, plopping down on her bed, "No one actually watches it."

"Uh, that's where you're wrong," Haley said rolling her eyes, "The Rivercourt guys are always talking about how they watch you, especially Lucas. God, I wonder if he's watching now."

"Haley?"

"Oh right! We're not talking about Lucas!" She swiveled the chair so that she was directly facing Peyton, "We're talking about A.J."

"Right," Peyton nodded, "You've come to tell me what a terrible influence he is and how I should stay away from him."

"Why would I say that?"

"Why wouldn't you say that? He's a total jerk. He's rude, obnoxious, and totally crude. He has no respect for authority of any kind. He treats women like their objects. He has a knack for pissing people off-"

"You know, I'm starting to wonder why you're going with him on Friday," Haley smirked.

"I'm just saying that someone like you would not recommend I date someone like A.J."

"What does 'someone like you' mean?"

"Nice. Sweet. Caring," Peyton listed off, "Has a soul!"

"I get it! I get it!" Haley sighed, "but honestly, A.J. isn't really that bad of a guy."

"Are we talking about the same A.J.? You know the one who locked our English teacher in various rooms around the school?"

"Yeah. He's not as terrible as you'd think."

"All right, Haley James, spill! Why do you think he's such a nice guy?"

"Well, let's just say I've seen a different side of him," Haley said cryptically.

"Go on," Peyton said slowly.

"I used to tutor him in Math…"

"And?"

"And what?"

"I'm gonna need details here."

"Right, well, he was a total jerk most of the time, but he really took it seriously when push came to shove, you know? I mean he did the work I asked him to do and eventually, he stopped failing. He thanked me profusely because he wouldn't have to do summer school. Anyways, one of the days we had been doing homework and I happened to mention how I'd learned to play guitar on my dad's old one and that it got sold at our garage sale and I was devastated-"

"I hate to interrupt, but can I just ask how you playing guitar had anything to do with Math?"

"Oh, Peyton you know me by now! I tend to ramble! And I'm even worse when I'm tutoring."

"Figures. Go ahead."

"Okay so, I was devastated about my dad's guitar. I guess he remembered it because he bought me a guitar as a thank you present for helping him pass Math."

"Wow," Peyton said, "I would've never-"

"Expected it? I know! I didn't either," Haley said, "It was definitely an 'aww how sweet' moment for me. Anyways, I didn't tell anyone about it because I knew A) no one would believe me and B) I didn't want to discourage his behavior by letting word get out. The point of the story is…from my dealings with A.J. I've learned that he's a jackass but he has his good moments. Deep down I don't really think he's that bad."

"Okay," Peyton said, "Thank you for your input." There was a pregnant pause where Haley just swiveled back and forth on her chair.

"So may I ask how serious you are about him?"

"Not very," Peyton shrugged, "I'm just going because he asked and he seemed nice enough."

"Or are you doing it to piss off the-boy-whose-name-we-cannot-mention?"

"I don't know," Peyton muttered before letting out a loud groan, "Ugh! I don't know anything anymore! It's all so fucked up."

"Well hang in there, kiddo. I'm sure it will all make sense eventually."

"Thanks."

"And for what it's worth, I know Lucas is truly sorry for what happened between him and Brooke."

"Yeah well, it doesn't make the pain go away."

"I told him to let you cool down for awhile. Hopefully, he'll listen."

Peyton couldn't help the hearty chuckle that burst forth at her words, "He didn't listen to you. He came over tonight." Haley's jaw dropped at her words.

"That little…" Haley trailed off in frustration, "What happened?"

"Oh the usual. He told me he loved me, made me cry, I threw a mug at him."

"He said he loved you? That idiot!"

"Gee, thanks!" Peyton said sarcastically.

"I don't mean it like that! I just mean that was probably the last thing you needed to hear."

"Yeah well, whatever," Peyton shrugged, "It doesn't make a difference."

"Sure it doesn't," Haley said, hiding her amusement, "Well I better take off! We do have school tomorrow after all."

"Thanks for stopping by Haley," Peyton said, "I haven't seen you lately."

"You've got enough to deal with now. I'm sorry I didn't call you after all that happened. I had to deal with brooding Lucas and all," Haley said as she walked to the door, "But if you ever need anything, I'm just a phone call away, okay?"

"Same here."

Peyton watched the brunette exit her room, with a small smile on her face. Haley always did have a way of cheering her up. She still didn't trust A.J. all that much, but it was nice to know he had some good in him. Haley approved of him, somewhat. She didn't know really what she was looking for with A.J. anyway. She was still so hung up on Lucas. His love confession had startled her more than anything. His words were chilling and caught in the back of her mind.

_I love you._

She slipped under the covers of her bed, turning her night lamp off. She curled herself into a ball. All of the anger and heart ache and pain, all of that emotion coursed through her veins and she found her breathing increase painfully. It started as small tears. Eventually though, she felt herself sobbing softly.

_If you didn't believe it and feel it too, you wouldn't be crying right now._

She tried to pretend like it didn't matter. She tried to tell herself that tomorrow was another day. It was one more day closer to acceptance. One more day toward getting over Lucas and working through the pain. However, once again his words stuck in her head just like they were designed to do.

_At the end of the day, I know that you'll come back to me. And I'll be here waiting for you._

He'd wait forever if he had to. And that's what scared her most.

_**So maybe tomorrow  
I'll find my way home  
So maybe tomorrow  
I'll find my way home**_

_**------------**_

Okay, so the Paley conversation was not intended when I wrote my outline. With shorter stories, I tend to stay away from adding characters into the storyline. However, I think Haley was necessary here. Let me know what you think of it all.


	6. Spirals Only Head Downward

A/N: Yeah so umm I'm sorry about the wait. I had terrible writers block with this story. I knew what needed to be said but I didn't know how to get there. Anyways, I hope this came out decent. I'm not entirely positive if I like it…I like the end though. And now I'm rambling lol. So yeah, enjoy this! And review if you don't mind. It'll make my day!

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or Panic! at the Disco's Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have.

_I've got more wit, _

_A better kiss,_

_A hotter touch _

_A better fuck_

Chapter Six: Spirals only Head Downward

Stories. They taught lessons, right? Morals and such. She remembered once her mother told her a story of a beautiful angel who fell for a mortal man whose soul was as black as coal. The angel knew that she could be destroyed by this man, but she also knew that he would gain some of her goodness and purity. In the end, they'd both wind up shades of grey. There was probably a real moral to that story, something about compromise and good triumphing. She was pretty sure that the angel and the mortal man both wound up being good people. However, looking back, Peyton saw it as pretty screwed up. No one should sacrifice their morality for someone they love. If they do, can they really call it love? Why the hell was she thinking about this anyway?

Oh, right! She remembered now. The mortal man sort of reminded her of herself. She was no saint, she knew that well. And Lucas…well he was like the angel. Only their story hadn't turned out like the one her mother told her. If she was being honest, she was guilty. She felt like she had tainted him, like she was responsible for what he had done with Brooke. She wasn't used to feeling guilty, but then Lucas was responsible for teaching her that someone's actions affect other people in ways unseen. It seemed like a double burn for her.

"Hey princess, I hate to interrupt your little daydream, but you're going to be late for homeroom."

Peyton had been staring aimlessly at the inside of her locker. It wasn't her fault she zoned out. There were plenty of unsettling thoughts on her mind. She was constantly thinking about her date tonight with AJ, Haley's experience with AJ, and most importantly, her words with Lucas just a few days ago. The whole sticky love confession.

"A.J., why would you care?" she asked as he continued down the hallway. He was walking backwards so he could face her.

"I don't," he smirked, "but I know you do." He gave her a quick wink. "I'll see you in English." He turned back around.

"They let you back so soon?"

"Of course," he called back over his shoulder, not bothering to turn around or elaborate. She felt a small grin tug at the corners of her mouth, but it quickly disappeared as she turned back around to find Lucas leaning against the locker next to hers.

"Hey," she said softly. She could have ignored him, but she had come to realize that was useless. Besides, he had been giving her space just like he said he would. She figured the least she could do was try and be somewhat civil.

"Hi," he replied, his gaze focused on his shoes.

"You must have done something wrong."

"What?" His eyes quickly darted up to meet hers.

"Well, people aren't usually shy unless they've screwed something up. Right now, you're avoiding eye contact so I'm assuming-"

"It's nothing big, but I just don't know how you'll react to it."

"Well, I'll put it simply for you," Peyton said as she pulled her notebook out of her locker, "If it includes the word 'Brooke' I may throw this at you." She had intended to make the taboo word love, but somehow her mouth wouldn't let her and Brooke had taken its place.

"It's nothing about Brooke," he said firmly, "It's about tonight."

"Okay…"

"So I made plans with Jake-"

"Switching teams already?"

"And Haley!"

"Ooh kinky! Is Nathan involved too?"

"Can you remove your mind from the gutter for just a second?"

"I'll try," Peyton said. She liked keeping things light hearted with him. It kept her from dwelling on the closeness of his body, the intensity of his gaze.

"We're going to the same party as you and A.J. I didn't know it when I agreed to it, but I just thought you should know."

"Oh."

"I'd stay home, but I promised Haley I'd do this for her. She won't take no for an answer and every time I try and explain-"

"It's fine, Lucas."

"Okay good," he nodded, "I didn't want you to think I was stalking you."

"Yeah, you kind of already have that nickname going against you."

"True," Lucas said. He shoved his hands in his pockets and took a deep breath, "Hey Peyt?"

"Yeah?"

"Just so you know, if any thing happens on Friday, I'll be there for you."

"Oh Lucas, come on!" Peyton said frustrated.

"I trust your judgment. I really do. I'm just saying-"

"Whatever." She slammed her locker shut giving him a quick glance. It was a mistake though because as soon as she saw those blue eyes, all resolve to be irritated melted. "Thank you, I guess." She quickly took off down the hall, unable to handle the situation.

"You're welcome," he whispered to no one in particular.

----------

_Othello is Shakespeare's second longest play. 1,309 lines. The main characters, Othello and Iago have the fifth and sixth most lines respectively out of all of Shakespeare's characters. 274 and 272 respectively. The play is about how far someone can be pushed when jealousy-"_

"Jesus Christ, I forgot how boring this class was," A.J. whispered in her ear. She glanced over her shoulder at him.

"Yeah so did I." She had been taking notes for the last half hour and her hand was cramped.

"I miss the good old days when he was locked up and I could have a damn smoke."

Peyton couldn't help the small chuckle that passed over her lips. It earned a nasty glare from the teacher who abruptly turned around from his work.

"Ms. Sawyer, Mr. Hopps, am I interrupting anything?"

"No, sir, we were just discussing the incompatibility of military heroism and love in Othello."

"Well, those are some deep thoughts Mr. Hopps. I'm sure you and your girlfriend can discuss them in details during your partners' project."

"Oh Mr. Camden!" A.J. let out a deep laugh, "I don't usually do girlfriends. And besides, if she had been my girlfriend, she would have been cursing me not laughing with me." A few people in the class laughed.

"Oh your wit kills me," the teacher deadpanned. He glanced at the clock and sighed, "I think it's time you broke into partners and discussed the project. Try to keep the noise down."

Peyton hardly had time to comprehend the teachers' words before she felt her desk being jerked around so she came face to face with green eyes.

"Howdy, partner."

"Aaron James."

"Shh! Don't use the Christian name! People might hear it."

"There's something odd about you saying the word Christian."

"Well aren't you a funny one."

"Hey, can I ask where you pulled that thing about heroism and love from?"

"Sparknotes."

"Ah, I figured," Peyton nodded.

"So we're still on for tonight, right?"

"Yeah. Why would you ask?"

"Well, there's this rumor going around school that you and stalker boy are back on."

"We're not. You don't have to worry about that," Peyton said cryptically, biting her lip.

"Truthfully?"

"Listen," Peyton sighed, "If I wanted to go with Lucas Friday, I'd go with Lucas. I want to go with you."

"Can't blame you there," he smirked, "And I seriously don't mind being a pawn in this little game you're playing with him. Just let me have my fun."

"In your dreams, Hopps." Peyton suddenly realized she had set herself up for whatever lewd comment he could manufacture. Before he got a chance to even open his mouth though, the bell rang.

"I had a good comeback for that, but I think I'll save the innuendo for when I pick you up."

She just nodded as she packed her things away. A.J. had already made his way out the door when Lucas moved to pass her. They were both in the same row, and the tight quarters made it painfully noticeable when he did move around her, his body brushing hers. His hand instinctively found her waist to keep his balance as he maneuvered around her. It was a fleeting moment, but like all their moments it left a mark.

"Sorry," he muttered not looking at her.

"It's okay," she said shakily, trying not to show the affect he had on her. She doubted he even heard her, as he was already headed out the door. To her surprise, he must have because he glanced over his shoulder and threw her a small shy smile. She couldn't help but return it.

---------

_I can do this. I can do this. _The words had become her mantra. She felt an unnerving sense of panic at the thought of being at a party with A.J. The rumors about him may not have been entirely true, but that didn't mean they held no merit whatsoever. She hadn't gotten to the point where she could trust people again. Not that she could much before the whole Lucas debacle. What if he was exactly like everyone said he was? What if he pulled something on her?

_Lucas will be there._ She looked around. Where had that thought come from? She hated the idea that the thought of Lucas watching out for her made her breathe easier. He was her knight in shining armor, as much as she hated to admit it. He was meant to protect her. Love her. Save her.

But she was stubborn and still hurting. She refused to make it easy for him to waltz back into her life. This A.J. thing wasn't helping either. With his carefree, hit-them-where-it-hurts mentality and charming smile, he was providing her an escape. She hadn't decided if he was preying on her weakness or just generally interested in helping her, but she knew one thing was for sure. He had the lust factor, and when reeling over heartache, a good rebound was never a bad thing.

She glanced in the mirror again, her black lined eyes darting down to check the evenness of rose colored hue of her lips. She traced her gaze back up her face, before stepping back from the mirror to take it all in. Her paled complexion contrasted greatly with the black halter top that clung tightly to her upper half. Her hair had been swept back casually into a ponytail, allowing a few tendrils to escape the sides and back. She had opted for a red plaid skirt and chunky black boots to complete her ensemble. She looked good, sexy even.

Her hand unconsciously smoothed her skirt as she heard the doorbell ring. Taking a deep breath, she quickly headed down the stairs. Her hands lingered on the doorknob a second before she swung it open. There was A.J. in all his glory, wearing blue jeans and a Rolling Stones T-Shirt.

"Hey A.J.," she said.

"Well, well, well," he said, as his eyes roamed her body. Normally, that would make her feel uncomfortable, but it was normal behavior for him. She was growing accustomed to it. "You look hot."

"Thank you," she said, "You look nice too." She watched as his eyes snapped back up to meet hers. He shifted closer, inside her house, hands resting on her hips.

"I'm thinking we skip the party and head upstairs," he said lowly, a smirk settled on his lips.

"Nice try."

"It was worth a try."

"Oh! I have something for you!" She could tell that he had to use all his self restraint not to make a smarmy comment. She found the manila envelope on the stairs and handed it to him.

"What's this?" he asked eyeing the envelope in confusion.

"Take a look."

She had finished the picture of him. She had shaded and even colored it. It was one of her proudest works. And it made her even prouder to see the smile tugging at his lips as he studied the drawing. He wasn't smirking, no just smiling softly. It made him look so gentle.

"Rise above the curve, huh?" A.J. said, as his eyes slowly dragged away from the paper to meet hers. He was referring to the caption on the work.

"Yeah. I thought it worked."

"It does," he nodded, "Thanks for this." He motioned to the paper. "It's really good."

"No problem."

"You ever try selling your stuff?"

"Umm, I kind of work for THUD magazine," Peyton said awkwardly. When she thought of that job, she thought of Lucas.

"Never read it. Too preppy for my taste."

"Shocker there," Peyton said rolling her eyes. She could sense his nervousness at her gesture. He wasn't used to people giving him something without any ulterior motive. He didn't have friends. He had accomplices and dates and neither lasted long. She gave him a warm smile. "We should get going."

"Uh, yeah," he said snapping out of his trance. She pulled on his hand, tugging him out the door, unable to keep the grin off her face for leaving A.J. Hopps speechless.

---------

It was like any typical high school party. There was music pumping through the house. Everyone was crammed together, making it hard to navigate your way through the house. There were beer bottles everywhere and Peyton always found it fun to find the strangest place she could spot one.

"I'll go get you a drink," A.J. said, "The living room should have a recliner open."

"Okay," Peyton nodded as they parted ways.

Sure enough when she entered the living room, there was a single recliner free of any occupant. She glanced around and noticed that this seemed to be deemed the make-out room. There were at least seven or eight couples bordering on indecent exposure. What boggled her more was the fact that many of the couples had taken to pressing against walls when there was a free recliner right there. She just shook her head at them, before settling down on the open chair.

"You might want to move, cheerleader," one of guys said, as his date moved her lips to his neck freeing his mouth, "That's A.J.'s seat and he'll eat you alive, sweetie."

"Well that explains it," Peyton muttered. She didn't answer the boy, simply laid back in the chair waiting for A.J. to return.

"I hope Heineken is all right." Peyton almost jumped out of her chair at the voice.

"Jesus, A.J.!" Peyton exclaimed, "You scared me!"

He merely chuckled at her before extending a hand. She eyed it curiously.

"We have to share the chair. And I'm guessing you're lighter than me which means you get top."

"Oh," Peyton said taking his hand as he hoisted her up. A.J. sat down, and in a sweeping motion grabbed Peyton by the hips and pulled her down to his lap. She felt herself pulled back as he reclined the chair.

"Much better," A.J. sighed, handing Peyton her beer. She took a large gulp, feeling self conscious as all these people who had been making out, shifted their attention to her. A.J. must have noticed. He simply glared at them and they all went back to making out.

"How do you do that?" Peyton whispered.

"You're just figuring out people are scared of me?" A.J. said. Peyton let out a steady laugh.

"Good point."

"I'm gonna have to kiss you now." The words seemed out of the blue, and Peyton almost choked on her drink.

"Excuse me?"

"We're in the make-out room. In my make-out chair. It's only custom that I kiss you."

To say Peyton was having a moral dilemma at this point would be an understatement. She knew she wasn't over Lucas and she probably wouldn't be for a long time. She also, deep down, didn't want to be over him. That didn't stop her from feeling the obvious attraction to the man lying next to her. She couldn't help but feel curious as to what it would feel like to have his lips moving against hers.

The curiosity won out in the end.

She pulled his head down, enveloping his lips with hers. To his credit, he immediately responded, placing his hands on her hips to tug her forward. She ran her hands through his hair.

His kisses didn't set her on fire. They didn't make her melt or drift off into her own little world where all that existed was him. They weren't Lucas's kisses. But they were sexy and passionate in their own way. She was positive that if he had kissed her before Lucas's lips had ever left their mark upon hers, she could have fallen for him. But alas, he didn't.

And it was at that moment she realized she loved Lucas. She loved him more than she had ever loved anyone else. More than any of her boyfriends before. And especially more than Nathan. And she knew this because all she could think about was Lucas. Here she was with an attractive, smart, funny guy and all she could think about was the jackass who had broken her heart.

As she felt his hand creeping under her top, she pulled away.

"You okay?" A.J. asked, although Peyton could tell he was more interested in reattaching his lips to hers.

"I can't do this," Peyton said, "I still…I'm in-"

"You don't have to say it," A.J. cut her off. Peyton simply smiled at him, before her eyes wandered to the front room. They were met with a familiar pair of blue ones. Disappointed blue ones. She sighed internally. That was not the sight she wanted Lucas to see. Making him jealous was no longer interesting. She felt her heart drop as he headed out the door, without another look at her.

"I'm gonna go mingle," Peyton said suddenly. She needed to clear her head. She needed another beer.

"Yeah it would probably save us from the awkwardness, especially since your stalker saw us," A.J. smirked.

"You're so funny."

"I try. Listen, you don't mind if I go find another lady to occupy my interests."

"No," Peyton laughed shaking her head, "Knock your socks off."

"I plan on removing much more than my socks."

"Oh God…"

------

She had been wandering around the party for awhile, finally settling in one of the more secluded rooms, a study that faced the living room. She had brought with her a six back of beer. Now, there was only five empty bottles, and a half drunk one in the petite blonde's hand. She had grabbed the alcohol when her search for Lucas left her empty handed. Now, she was smashed beyond belief, and she felt herself being tugged into a constant haze which she knew would lead to her passing out. She tried to pull herself out of it, but whenever she did, she took another sip of her drink, thus adding fuel to the fire.

She hardly heard the door of the study creaking open.

"Well, well, well, it must be my lucky day," the guy at the door said. Peyton could hardly make out his face, her vision was so blurred. "A drunk, pretty cheerleader alone in a room."

"You're a creepy guy," Peyton muttered honestly. Drinking always did make her blunt.

"Do you have a point?"

"Umm, it makes me uncomfortable that you're standing there."

"What? Are you afraid I'll do something you won't like?" He was coming dangerously close to her now.

"Just because I'm drunk, doesn't mean I'm going to sleep with you. Even with eight or so beers in me I can tell you're ugly."

"You kind of don't have any choice in the matter." His words sent a flood of panic through her as she glanced around her. The door was closed. He was huge and she suddenly felt herself slipping into another haze. "See me and my friends saw you come in here with your six pack, and we waited until we were sure you had drank them all. And now, we're going to have some fun with you…"

She barely could comprehend his words as they trailed off in her head. Her body was becoming weak and she felt herself falling down onto the bed. Or maybe she had been pushed…She honestly couldn't remember. She heard herself yelling. And someone trying to sooth her. But then it all went black and the last words she recalled were her father's the night he first found her drunk.

"Drinking is never the answer, Peyton Elizabeth," he had said. He was always right.

------

Lucas had been hell bent on leaving the party. It had been nothing but a disappointment. Haley had ditched him for Nathan. Jake was currently trying to ward off Bevin's attention. Oh and did he mention that he had caught Peyton making out with A.J.? Talk about a slap in the face. He had been out the door, in fact, before he realized that Haley had his keys. For some strange reason, she figured she'd be the most likely to end the night sober. To say that was a misjudgment would be an understatement. She was far past plastered.

He eventually found her and got his keys. She had mumbled something about Peyton looking for him, and he had decided that he'd make one quick lap around the house to see if he could find her. He started in the living room, where he had previously caught her making out with A.J. But, he was shocked to see A.J. entangled with some red head. The gears in his mind started to click and he wondered what the hell had happened.

Suddenly, finding her seemed more poignant than going home. Part of him hoped that she had changed her mind about him and that's why she wasn't still with A.J. So that's why he was walking around the house trying to find her. He had been around twice with no such luck and he was just beginning to think that maybe she had gone home. Then he heard it. A familiar voice. A muffled scream. It was coming from the study. Peyton was in there.

He couldn't remember how it happened. How his body got from where he was standing to that door. How his hand turned that knob and pushed that door open. How his eyes narrowed at the sight he was presented with. No he couldn't remember any of that. He could only remember his arms wrapping around the stomach of the shirtless man who was currently pushing himself on Peyton. He could only remember pulling that man furiously off her and throwing him against the wall.

"What the hell is going on?" the man hissed, "Can't you see we're busy?"

"Get the fuck away from her," Lucas said in a low voice. He advanced on the man, only to be caught off guard when a fist knocked him from behind. He turned and saw two more men enter the room.

"Sorry, Mike, we didn't see him get through."

"It's fine," the man named Mike said, wiping the blood off his face, "Just get him out of here." The two men nodded and attempted to pick Lucas up by the armpits. He struggled free.

"I'm not leaving without her."

"Sorry, no can do. And no offense kid you can't take all three of us."

"Fine. If you're not scared of me, even though you should be right now, you should know she came here with A.J. Hopps." Lucas knew he couldn't take three men, but he also knew that the name A.J. Hopps could invoke fear in even the toughest assholes.

"What?" the man choked out, his own fear present as his eyes darted around the room toward the men with him.

"What the hell's going on here?" A.J. said suddenly as he passed by the room. "I heard my name on the way to the pisser." A.J. looked in the room and Lucas saw his fist furl.

"Mike, here, was trying to take advantage of Peyton," Lucas said.

"Oh really?" A.J. said coldly.

"Listen, Hopps. I swear to God-" He was cut off as A.J. slammed him into the wall. One of the Mike's men fled, but the other tried to hit A.J. from behind. Lucas cut him off, tackling him in the stomach. A.J. and Mike's brawl made its way outside, into the living room. Lucas on the other hand was trying to hold off the other man, who was at least twice his size. The longer the fight went on the harder it got for Lucas to keep hold of him. Finally, the man managed to pin Lucas down, and began wailing on him, each punch landing with increasing intensity and Lucas was sure that he had never felt this kind of pain before.

In the distance, he heard the shattering of glass and suddenly the man who was beating on him stood up and turned around to see what had happened. His eyes widened as A.J., without a scratch on him, stalked back towards the room. He pulled the guy up by the jacket allowing Lucas to get up.

"It's time for you to join your friend," A.J. hissed. Lucas watched from the doorway as A.J. led the man to living room where the large window had been shattered and threw him out the now open hole. A.J. looked around at all the staring people

"Who owns this house?" he asked. A small mousy girl stepped forward, her hands trembling. A.J. pulled out his wallet and handed her a wad of bills.

"That should cover the broken window…and the broken lamp…oh and the broken shelf in the study."

"Thanks…Umm, I kind of already called the cops. I'm sorry A.J." the girl whispered.

"It's okay, babe." He said patting her on the back before he went back to the study and to Lucas. "You okay, stalker boy?"

"Yeah I'm fine. Thanks for your help."

"It's no problem. I shouldn't have left her alone with creeps like him wandering around."

"You didn't know."

"Doesn't make me feel any better," A.J. muttered, glancing at the blonde girl who had been the catalyst for all of this, "Fuck, when did I become a softie?"

"She has that affect on people."

"You love her, don't you?" A.J. sighed.

"Yeah, I do."

"Well then don't fuck it up again. She's different then most of them. Consider yourself lucky."

Lucas opened his mouth to reply, but he was cut off by the arrival of two cops in the study.

"Mr. Hopps, we meet again."

"Oh Shirley! I'm so glad they sent you," A.J. smirked, "And Thomas came with you."

"What did you do this time?"

"I threw two kids through a window, but before you yell at me, I did it in defense of the lady they were gonna date rape, my good friend in fact. She's the girl on the bed here. Surely, that earns me some brownie points?"

"While I'm utterly shocked that this was a selfless act, what are we supposed to do about the broken window?"

"I gave the girl money for it. No harm done."

"You're intoxicated."

"Who here isn't?"

"We have to take you to the station, A.J. I'm sure we can work something out…yet again seeing as your dad-"

"…is chief of police," Lucas finished, "I knew Hopps sounded familiar."

"Yeah well, don't go spreading it around," A.J. said as he let the cops handcuff him, "I'm the black sheep of the family."

"I won't," Lucas promised.

"Can you give blondie a ride home?" A.J. asked.

"Sure."

"And tell her I'm sorry, if she wakes up." Lucas simply nodded at the statement. He watched as they dragged A.J. out of the room, before he scooped up the blonde into his arms and headed to his truck to take her home.

-----------

He was shocked to find the front door to her house unlocked. He'd have to talk to her about that habit. She hadn't woken at all since they had left the party. In fact, she barely stirred, and Lucas found himself glancing over at her at every stoplight to make sure she was awake. However, as they made their way up her stairs, she began to shift in his arms. Once he got her to the bedroom and laid her down on the bed, her eyes fluttered open.

"Lucas," she croaked, confusion etched in her voice.

"Yeah, it's me."

"What happened? I remember being in a study and then some ugly guy was there and-"

"Why don't you get some sleep and we'll talk about it in the morning?"

"Lucas, he didn't do anything did he," she said, her voice suddenly gaining panic.

"No," Lucas said quickly, "Nothing actually happened. I got there and so did A.J."

"Okay," she said, her fingers relaxing around his wrist and her eyes drifting close.

"I'm gonna go," Lucas said, "I'll be back in the morning to check on you."

"No!" Peyton muttered, grabbing his wrist again, "Stay."

"Peyt, I-"

"Stay," she just repeated pulling him down so that he was lying next to her.

"Okay, I'll stay."

"You're always saving me."

"Somebody's got to," he smiled, though she couldn't see him. She smiled back at him.

"I love you," she sighed, so quietly that he doubted he would have heard it if he hadn't been inches away from her. He saw that she was sound asleep already so he merely covered her with her blanket and took a deep breath.

"I love you too," he whispered, "That's why I'm always saving you."

It may have been words mumbled in the dark, but it felt good for Lucas to say them nonetheless.

_Girl I was it, look past the sweat, a better love deserving of _

_Exchanging body heat in the passenger seat?_

_No, no, no, you know **it will always just be me**_

_**----------**_

So….what'd you think? Next update should be out sooner than usual. We shall see. Also, don't expect a happy ending just yet...that'd be too nice. lol.


	7. Good Morning Sunshine

A/N: Sorry again for the wait on this…I've been obsessing over little oneshots instead of the meaty chapter fics. Shame on me. Umm, a little warning to y'all…I was informed there's a writer out there who's been playing around with old storylines of mine. Like my fic Nothing and Everything to be specific. Well, imitating is the sincerest form of flattery. Anyways, now that we've cleared that up…I hope y'all enjoy this chapter. It's got some cute LP fluff. Actually it's like all LP fluff, but fluff with a purpose.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or Ben E. King's Stand by Me

_When the night has come_

_And the land is dark_

_And the moon is the only light we'll see_

_No I won't be afraid, no I won't be afraid_

_Just as long as you stand, stand by me_

Chapter Seven: Good Morning Sunshine

Imagine if you will the sharpest, longest, shiniest blade you could possibly picture sitting out on a pillow propped on a pedestal. Around the pedestal is a mariachi band playing music, a constant tune of no more than ten notes that goes over and over. Add to it a strange static hum which sounds strangely similar to the one that occurs when your TV is on but the sound is faulty. Figure off to the side there will be an elephant stomping along. Now, picture taking that blade on the pillow and jabbing it into your brain over and over again while the elephant prances along on top of your head. Comical sight, huh? Or more likely the worst hangover ever? Or how about just Peyton Sawyer's Saturday morning?

A strangled groan escaped Peyton's lips as she rolled over on her side and curled in a ball, trying to escape the sunlight pouring in through her window. Something didn't feel right. She felt a presence around her, one she couldn't shake. She had this feeling deep down in her gut that there was something lying next to her. She couldn't remember much of last night. No, scratch that. She couldn't remember anything from last night. She remembered a struggle, and then later someone promising her everything was okay.

That voice. God! Why couldn't she pin that voice to a name? She knew it well, but it seemed all brain function had ceased. Then, another patch of information settled into her brain. She had asked the person to stay. She could clearly remember the feeling of his thick wrist, the tip of his ulna which was prominent against his skin, the soft hair covering his arm. She could remember all of that and then her voice, groggy and laced with some other emotion asking this guy to stay.

Maybe it had been a dream, but when did dreams feel so real? Her wish for it too all be a dream was soon shattered anyways as she felt the bed shift and a deep breath escape whoever was next to her. Well, logically, it could be two guys because she only trusted two guys enough to let them stay. Nathan or Lucas. And she couldn't see Nathan taking her home in the first place. So, it was probably Lucas…but it could be A.J. now that she thought about it. A.J. or Lucas…that seemed like a lose-lose situation. She wanted so badly to open her eyes, but the pain that would come with the extra light seeping into her retinas seemed to put off that idea.

She did have another idea though. She could just reach over and touch him. Not like grope him or anything. Just feel an arm or something. She knew the difference between A.J. and Lucas. A.J. was built, and Lucas, well, he wasn't. Don't get her wrong. Lucas was muscular, but he wasn't as thick.

This was a smart idea, she convinced herself as she rolled all the way over so that she'd be facing whoever was next to her. She heard the steady breathing of her bed partner and it put her at ease knowing that he was still asleep, and it would all go unnoticed. Still, she tried to make it all seem natural, by just sort of flopping her arm onto the body.

You'd think, by the grace of the gods, the arm would land on another arm, or perhaps even a chest. Nope. It landed on a stomach, the lower abdomen to be exact. And immediately she knew it was Lucas. The way her fingertips fit perfectly into the contours of his abs, the fact that her arm could probably wrap over his figure, most of all the familiar feel of his T-shirt (she imagined it was the red one from last night's party and the first time they had ever had a real conversation) all confirmed it. It was Lucas next to her.

Logically, she should probably remove her hand from his body. But she was having trouble ignoring the heat radiating from his torso. It was so welcoming that she found her hand almost glue in its position, her finger twitching a bit unconsciously. She wondered what his heart beat would feel like. She could remember how soothing it had felt under her fingertips that day at Dan's party.

Suddenly, it hit her. He was asleep. He would never know if her fingers crept up and slid over his chest. God, she was being bold. That was the thought that passed through her head as she moved her hand slowly up his stomach, sliding it over his heart. The gentle thumping was present, slightly faster than she thought it would be for someone who was sleeping, but still calm nonetheless. She felt her hand curl up a little as if incasing it, as her fingers tapped idly on his chest.

She never knew what it felt like to wake up next to someone. She had only ever slept with Nathan and he was always an early riser. By the time she woke up, he was already out for a run or back from one, slinging her over his shoulder so they could shower together. There was nothing peaceful like this. Her thoughts continued to race as her hand now touched his chin, the stubble both tickling and burning her hand. She could feel how beautiful he was without even looking at him. And she was gracious for moments like this.

Thank God he wasn't awake.

--------------

He had been awake for awhile, just lying there quietly watching her sleep. He had never been so nervous in his life as he had last night when he found her with those guys. The thought made his stomach sick, even now. He wanted to be able to always save her. To protect her. It's what kept him up all night watching her, just making sure she was still there.

He had seen her wake up, or at least stir. Her body had curled up with his back to him. He guessed she was avoiding the sunlight because of the hangover. He figured he'd let her wake up on her own. He was basically delaying the inevitable, but he didn't know how she would react to his presence in her bedroom. They're relationship was up in the air as it was. He just wanted to avoid the awkwardness.

No such luck. She turned to face him and he figured she must be close to waking up. Then, her arm landed on his stomach, his lower stomach and it took all the restraint in the world not to groan. Her gentle touch invoked something in him. Something more than just pure driven lust. It always had, but he was good. He didn't say a thing, not even when he felt her fingers twitch.

Without moving his head, he stole a glance over at her and saw her eyes closed a bit too tightly for someone who was supposed to be asleep. He wanted to chuckle out loud at the fact that Peyton Sawyer was copping a feel while she assumed he was fast asleep. He decided not to mention it, that was until her hand slid up his body and covered her heart. He willed himself to stay calm or she would notice he was awake. He needed his heartbeat to stay level.

The intimacy of the gesture was not lost on him. He had always thought that Peyton was just a girl who desperately wanted to be loved. She just didn't know how to accept it without pushing it away. For her, love meant pain and that's why it was so hard for her to embrace it even when it meant something good could come of it. He wanted to show her how wonderful love was. And so far, he was sure he had failed, but now, watching her curl up against him, her hand now laying on his chin, he realized maybe he really hadn't just yet.

But he knew the moment had to end and she would probably need to push him away again.

"Peyton, are you awake?" he finally asked, breaking the tranquil silence.

"Uh…yeah," Peyton muttered, her hand stilling on his cheek, "Sorry." She opened her eyes so she could meet his. "I was trying to figure out who was next to me."

He figured it was a partial truth, but he didn't call her out on the absurdity of it.

"Did you figure it out yet?" he chuckled. She slapped him on her chest, her cheeks burning red in embarrassment.

"Jerk."

"What? I was just kidding," he said propping himself up on his elbows.

"Are you going tell me what happened last night and why I woke up next to you?" She noticed that his face fell a little bit, so she added, "I mean I remember asking you someone to stay. I just don't remember why."

Lucas sighed. He really hoped she would remember most of last night. He knew it was in vain, but he really didn't want to tell her everything that happened.

"What's the last thing you remember?"

"Well, I was in a study, drinking beer and I think some ugly guy came in. After that it all goes hazy."

"That ugly guy is named Mike and he umm…well he tried….he kind of-"

"He tried to rape me," Peyton cut him off, knowing he didn't know how to word it the right way.

"Yeah," Lucas said, "Anyways, Haley told me that you had been looking for me and when I didn't find you with A.J. I looked around the party. I heard a commotion going on in one of the rooms and it turned out you were in there." He took a moment to pause and let her soak in all the information.

"How far had it gone?" Peyton whispered.

"Not very far at all," he said quickly, "He was just on top of you and…" He trailed off seeing how pale her face looked, "Anyways, two of Mike's friends showed up. They told me to leave and I said I wasn't going anywhere without you. They wouldn't budge so then I mentioned that you had come with A.J."

"Smart move," Peyton said, "A.J.'s property isn't to be touched." Her smirk told him she was just joking around.

"Exactly," he said, "So A.J. happened to walk by and I explained what was going on. He beat the shit out of Mike. One of Mike's men fled and the other tried to hit him from behind but I sort of tackled him. You probably don't need details but it ended with A.J. throwing them both out of a window."

"And you have a black eye," Peyton mused.

"They were both big guys. I was lucky A.J. was there."

"Who would have thought A.J. Hopps would be defending my honor?" Peyton chuckled. Lucas frowned.

"I was there too you know."

"Yeah, but you I expect to save me," she said casually, "And besides, it looks like A.J. did most of the work. He deserves the praise."

"I had to lug your butt home. That counts for something."

"You need to shave," Peyton said bluntly, ignoring his statement.

He brought a hand up to his cheek and felt the stubble.

"Thank you. Is that all you figured out from groping me?"

She could have been embarrassed again, but she quickly shook it off.

"I wasn't groping you."

"Sure you weren't."

"Oh please. If I wanted to grope someone, I'd go grope A.J., my muscle bound hero."

"Low blow," Lucas said narrowing his eyes.

"It felt nice," she said suddenly. Lucas's eyes went wide and Peyton realized how her words sounded.

"Excuse me?" he said, clearing his throat.

"I didn't mean it like that. I meant it felt nice to wake up next to someone and not have it be sexual." She blushed a little at the thought.

"Oh."

"You're the first guy to not think of me like that."

"I think of you like that," he argued, "It's just not all I think about."

"That's my point," she said quietly, "I'm not used to being thought about as anything other than that."

He didn't know what to say so he opted for silence. Peyton suddenly felt a flash of anger as she remembered walking into his house that night. The same sweet look had graced his face. He had opted for silence then too, and right now, she knew he only did for lack of words, but it still brought back such terrible memories. She felt her hands getting clammy and trembling.

"You need to go," she said suddenly.

"What?" Lucas said quickly, his eyes snapping up to meet hers.

"I meant you need to go home," she said covering up her fear, "You're mother's probably worried sick. You're all she's got."

"My mother knows I'm here. She understood. Besides, who do you have?"

"Listen Luke," Peyton began, "I'm really appreciative of what you did, of everything you have done for me, but it doesn't change the fact that you hurt me-"

"Peyton, I-"

"You of all people should know I have trust problems. It's gonna take me awhile to forgive that, okay? And your presence here is not entirely a good thing."

"Okay," Lucas nodded, "I'll go, but you should know Peyton that you can't run from us forever."

"Well if you stopped playing hero it'd make it easier for me."

Lucas would have been upset if she hadn't said it with an amused look on her face to let him know she was just kidding.

"Stop getting your scrawny ass in trouble," Lucas said, smiling that charming smile that always made her heart melt. She blushed, unable to hide the effect he had on her. He placed a small kiss on her forehead.

"Call me if you need me."

She watched him go and when she heard the front door close she let out a deep breath she didn't know she was holding. She felt the need for another nap so she snuggled up close to the pillow Lucas had previously been laying on. She could still smell him there.

-------

_A Few Hours Earlier_

Haley felt like an ass. She also felt extremely sick, like her insides were forcing their way outside. Oh and she had a headache. She guessed this was what it felt like to be hung over. She was quite fascinated by it, despite how painful it felt. She would have loved spending her morning in bed, sleeping this off, but guilt had a strange way of making her get up, get dressed and buy two cups of coffee.

She blamed herself for what happened with Peyton. Logically, she had no reason to feel guilty. Peyton was a big girl and she could have taken care of herself, but then, Haley was never a logical person when it came to her friends. She was very protective, overprotective some may even say, of her friends, and she considered Peyton her friend. So that's why she was so worried about the curly blonde.

Lucas had called her and told her that he had brought Peyton home and that he was staying with her, her first thought was to get up and go over there. Then, when she tried to stand up, she realized she couldn't walk or see straight. Lying back down, she promised herself she would remember to talk to the girl tomorrow and shockingly, though she had forgotten most of the rest of the night, she remembered Peyton.

So that's why she was standing at Peyton Sawyer's front door with Starbucks beverages. She opted not to knock, rather just plunge right into the house. She doubted that Peyton would mind, or that she would even be up to notice. Inside, she found the house in perfect order. What the hell was she expecting though? She chuckled to herself seeing the photos on the foyer table. A picture of Peyton in a pink tutu, now, that was blackmail worthy.

She moved on though, heading up the stairs. There she found Peyton curled up in a little ball next to Lucas. She couldn't help the goofy smile that came to her face, seeing the two wrapped up in each other's embrace. Lucas's eyes were opened though, and he glanced over to meet Haley's eyes. They both shared a smile.

"I felt bad," Haley whispered.

"You shouldn't have."

"I brought her coffee."

"I see that," Lucas said softly.

"I'll come back later when she's awake and you're gone."

"Well don't I feel special," Lucas joked. Haley glanced at his arm which was lodged under the blonde's.

"You and I are talking later," Haley promised.

"Okay," Lucas said.

"Don't scare her away."

"Go home, Haley."

"Actually," Haley pondered, "I think I've got another person in mind to share this coffee with."

Lucas assumed she meant Nathan, but he was miles away from the truth.

_Whenever you're in trouble won't you stand by me_

_----------------_

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Praise? Click the lilac button and tell me about it. lol.


	8. I Love You, I Promise

A/N: Update time! So umm, I had a little trouble with this one. I didn't really know what I wanted to get accomplished with it. I think the second to last chapter is always like that though because you're always afraid it'll become like filler. Anyways, I think I managed to avoid a filler chapter though. I gave it subsidence. So yeah as always, enjoy! And if at all possible, review! It makes my day a little brighter.

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or Stolen by Dashboard Confessional (lyrics used in honor of 4.17 hehe)

Chapter Eight: I Love You…I Promise

_Watch you spin around  
In your highest heels  
You are the best one  
Of the best ones_

She had been to his house before. Or she should probably call it a mansion. Because the Hopps Estate was the size of at least three normal houses. All white Italian marble. The front porch was covered in columns. It was three stories, maybe four stories, she had only been up to the third though. It gave off that creepy southern grotesque vibe, and she found herself pulling her jacket closer to her body and pushing off a shiver that ran up her spine.

"This place was probably a God-damn plantation," Haley muttered ringing the doorbell. Her irritation was a direct result of lack of sleep and a painful headache. Being hung over really sucked. She was sure of that now.

"Hello, Ms. James." The voice awoke her from her angry musings and she quickly plastered a smile on her face.

"Hi Mr. Hopps," she said in her sugar coated voice.

"What can I do for you, miss?"

"I'm here to see A.J., sir."

"Well it's a little early for visitors. I'm sure he's not up," Mr. Hopps looked at his wrist watched, "Then again, he probably has a terrible hangover so head on up."

"Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother for him."

"No please. It can be part of his punishment for breaking that window."

"He broke a window?" Haley blurted out.

"Brutish strength. He sent two guys out the McClaskey's window. He was defending some girl, but still…he should know better."

"Should? Yes. Does? No."

"Touche, Ms. James," Mr. Hopps chuckled, letting the auburn haired girl into the house. He looked at her for a moment before continuing, "So, A.J.'s in his room…I trust you remember where that is?"

"Yes, sir," she said, before she charged up the first flight of steps. Another winding flight of stairs later she came face to face with the ACDC poster that marked A.J.'s room.

"Knock, knock," Haley said loudly before barging into the room. She sat on the edge of his bed bouncing up and down to make it shake.

"Go away," a voice from beneath the quilt muttered.

"Aaron James, rise and shine. It's a beautiful morning." Even though Haley felt like it was the exact opposite, she loved to tease A.J.

"Haley?" A.J. groaned, peeking over the covers to see the auburn haired girl grinning back at him, "This is fucking déjà vu."

"Hey! Watch your language! You're in the presence of a lady."

"Really? Where?" he smirked, as she sat up a little in bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, and stretching his thick arms over his head.

"Okay just for that smartass, I'm not sharing this coffee with you." Before she even had a chance to put behind her back, he swooped in and took it from her. "Hey! That's not fair."

"Life's not fair," he said taking a sip, "Aww, decaf! I'm touched you remembered."

"I have the memory of a fox."

"I didn't know foxes had good memories," A.J. mused, "Anyways, what brings you to my lair? Have you finally given up the whole crazy 'sex before marriage thing?' Because while it's early, I'm always up for-"

"Finish that sentence and you'll be eating out of a tube for the rest of your life."

"Kinky, Ms. James," A.J. said, wiggling his eyebrows. He sat up entirely in his bed, "So mind tell me why you're not here if it's not to ravage my hot body?"

"Oh Lord," Haley muttered, rolling her eyes. She took a deep breath and sipped her coffee. After swallowing the hot liquid, she continued, "Well I don't know if you know this but I'm good friends with Peyton."

"Yeah sure, and Lucas and I hang out every Friday chasing skirts," A.J. said rolling his eyes.

"Ouch! I'm serious, A.J. After Lucas started getting close with Peyton and I started to…well…"

"Shack up with ogre?"

"His name is Nathan, and we're not shacking up."

"Minor detail," A.J. said waving it off, "Continue."

"Anyways after Nathan and I kind of started dating, we got close. So yeah, umm I just came to say thank you for treating her with respect and for sticking up for her."

"The pleasure was all mine," A.J. said seriously, "Rapists deserve to go through glass windows. In fact, that should be a law somewhere."

"How much damage did that do to your record?" Haley asked.

"Umm," A.J. said scratching the back of his head, "I have community service and I'm grounded for the month. I have to spend time after school with my brother Bobby so I can learn how to uphold the Hopps family name."

"I'm sorry, A.J.," Haley said quietly. She knew how much he hated being around his perfect older brother.

"It was worth it."

"Do you love her?" Haley blurted out.

"No," A.J. said, shaking his head. A small smile graced his lips. "She's just a friend."

"I thought you didn't have female friends. Isn't that what you told me when we stopped tutoring? Or was that just because I'm a total nerd-"

"I was into you."

"What?" Haley said, almost falling off the bed.

"It's simple, Hales. You're a cute, smart, funny girl. You liked me as a person including the fact that I was a jackass. It wasn't a turn on but it also wasn't a turn off and that's a rarity. But unlike the ogre you're dating now, I wasn't gonna change for you."

"A.J., I never-"

"I would have charmed you into dating me because lets face it, all you've ever wanted was someone to notice you and treat you like you deserve. For a few weeks, I would have been the perfect gentleman. You would have let down your walls and began to trust me. Soon enough though, I would have strayed. You would have been heart broken and I'd probably feel guilty and ashamed for the rest of my life." He finished and took another sip of his coffee.

"You think too much," Haley said simply.

"Being cautious was never part of my vocabulary before you came along."

"You're probably right about all of that though. You have to want to change not just change for someone else."

"Exactly, and right now, I like being me. I like the life I live. The constant flirting and the games I play with women."

"Were you playing with Peyton?"

"No. She was playing with me, and I didn't mind. I had a feeling it would work out well for both of us."

"Go on."

"She got Lucas. I got to make out with the hottest Tree Hill cheerleader."

"And you got that."

A.J. looked over his shoulder where the picture Peyton had drawn him was clipped to his bulletin board.

"Yeah," he smiled, "I got that."

"Are you sure you don't-"

"No. I don't. She's just a friend and I'd like to keep it that way."

"Good because Lucas wasn't going to go down without a fight."

"I would have broken him in two if I had really wanted her," A.J. said seriously.

"Well," Haley sighed, "I wanted to go check up on her. How would you like to come with me?"

"So much for that memory of a fox, I'm grounded, remember?"

"I have my ways," Haley said deviously.

----------

"I can't believe that worked," A.J. said in disbelief as he and Haley walked up the path to Peyton's house.

"Your dad likes me. Don't be so shocked."

"Yeah, but he also likes punishing me."

"He must like me more than that," Haley said opening the door to Peyton's house.

"Maybe he's crushing on you."

"Eww, your dad's like fifty."

"Well I'm just saying. That's the only way I can justify him listening to you."

"Right because everything with you is about sex."

"You just implied there's sexual tension between my father and you."

"Oh my God! I did not!"

"Whatever you say."

They both came face to face with Peyton's room. Haley led the way in, but A.J. stayed close behind. They found the blonde girl in question cuddled up on the bed. She was clutching a pillow so close to her frame she was nearly wrapped around it.

"Well Lucas is gone," Haley whispered as they both approached the bed.

"He stayed the night?"

"Jealous?" Haley smirked.

"For the last time, I don't have feelings for her."

"Good to know, Hopps," Peyton muttered opening her eyes.

"I'm guessing you're awake, Sleeping Beauty?"

"I was always more a fan of Snow White," Peyton said as she sat up, stretching her arms over her head.

"So when did Lucas leave?"

"Umm," she glanced over at the clock, "an hour ago."

"And…" Haley led.

"Can we not talk about Lucas, please?" Peyton groaned. "Besides, I need to talk to A.J."

"Ooh I sense a private conversation coming! I'm gonna head elsewhere."

"But you just got here."

"Yeah but I just wanted to make sure you were okay and pester you about Lucas, and since you're not in the mood for the latter and I already know the former, my work here is done."

"Right. I think I got that," Peyton nodded. Haley reached over and hugged her friend.

"Okay I'll see you two later." She exited the room, a bounce in her step.

"So…" Peyton began, "You've been pretty quiet over there."

"I'm just thinking," A.J. shrugged, as he perched on the end of her bed.

"Dangerous territory."

"Funny, bitch."

"Aw, I missed that nickname. Here I thought you got all soft on me."

"Oh the innuendo running through my mind right now."

"The old A.J. is thriving right now!" Peyton giggled.

"He is. Throwing two guys through a window definitely brought him back."

"Yeah about that," Peyton said, rubbing the back of her neck, "Thanks for fighting those guys for me."

"Don't mention it."

"No seriously, A.J. I know you like to pretend like it's no big deal, but to me, it's huge. I hate to think what could have happened to Lucas or me if you hadn't shown up. I mean Lucas is strong-"

"He's not. Your boy's a lover not a fighter, but when it comes to you, he'd probably fight until his death."

"Right," Peyton said uncomfortably. It was odd to talk about Lucas with A.J.

"But you clearly don't want to talk about Lucas. This is about me and my brutish strength and gorgeous-"

"I give up with you!"

"You're welcome, Peyton," A.J. said seriously, "Even though I got arrested, grounded and forced to do community service, I'd do it again in a heart beat."

"Really?"

"You're my friend."

"Really?"

"Is that the only word you know?" A.J. smirked. Peyton rolled her eyes and smacked his head.

"You're my friend too."

"So I'm new to this 'friendship' thing. Do friends get to have sex?"

"No."

"Make-out?"

"No."

"Not even a little kiss?"

Peyton eyed him for a second before reaching over and pecking him quickly on the lips.

"Thank you for saving me, Aaron James Hopps."

"You're welcome, Peyton Elizabeth Sawyer."

"Hey! How'd you know my middle name?"

"My dad."

"What?"

"It's a long story."

"I've got time."

"Well you see it all starts with my grandfather, Robert…"

Peyton smiled as he launched into his family history. A.J. Hopps, arrogant and smug jackass, was her newest friend. Who would have guessed it one month ago?

------

Lucas lay on his bed, staring up at the ceiling of his bedroom. He had been home for a couple hours now, trying to catch up on his sleep. However, he couldn't seem to will his eyes to shut. He was still worried about her, even though he knew he didn't have to be. Peyton Sawyer had become his whole world in such a short period of time. He often wondered how much of a hold she had over his heart. How much she could hurt him if she really tried. How much she could make him smile with the smallest things. How much he wanted to kiss her again…

_Bad thought, Lucas. Remember last time you did that? _His conscience was right. He needed to take this slowly. Like they did before Dan's party. With Peyton, a snail's pace was necessary. He'd have to be cautious and prudent. Every move had to be planned out two steps ahead. It would be a challenge, but one he was willing to face.

"Hey loser," a voice from his door interrupted his musings.

"Hey Hales."

"You look like you got the crap beat out of you."

"That would be because I did."

"So I heard."

"How's the hangover?"

"Totally gone."

"You're kidding me, right? It's not even noon."

"I swear it must be something in the James' family genes. Taylor is the same way when it comes to hangovers. There gone by lunch."

"You suck."

"Thanks," Haley said hitting him with a pillow.

"So what brings you here?"

"What? I can't check up on my oldest and dearest friend?"

"You have that look in your eye that tells me this is a visit with a hidden agenda."

"Nonsense," Haley grinned.

"Okay then." They fell into a comfortable silence as Haley laid back on Lucas's bed. He glanced over at her. She was dying to ask him something. He just knew it. Whenever she wanted to, she always fidgeted and tried to keep her eyes focused on his ceiling. They had been in this position many times before. A few moments passed before Haley finally gave in.

"So, how are things with you and Peyton?"

"Ha! I knew it!" Lucas said bursting into laughter.

"Shut up!" Haley said shoving his shoulder, "I'm your best friend. I'm entitled to ask."

"Things are fine," Lucas said when his laughter had finally died down, "Well, as fine as they're gonna be. We have to start from the beginning."

"That sucks."

"It's worth it."

"I'm starting to realize Peyton Sawyer is worth a lot. I mean A.J., who by the way only sees her as a friend-"

"-Well, that's a relief-"

"Right, well, A.J. said she was worth the trouble he got into and now you're saying she's worth a do-over courtship. I'm guessing Peyton's really special, huh? I mean, she's my friend and know she's a good person, but I never-"

"She's everything," Lucas said. He shrugged his shoulders. "There's not much more to say then that."

Haley looked at him in awe. She saw how sincere his eyes looked when he said it, and it blew her away. Peyton Sawyer was no longer a silly childhood crush or high school cheerleader fantasy. She was the girl her best friend loved.

"Wow," she whispered.

"My feelings exactly."

----------

_Later that night…_

Peyton Sawyer exited the shower, a large grin settling on her face. She felt good. The hangover had all but disappeared. The guilt and fear from last night had dissolved as well. She was more focused on the friendship she had established with A.J. and the relationships she was building with Lucas. Both were on the right track. _For now._

God, how true that thought was. It seemed whenever things were going right something would pop up to throw a wrench in it. How long before A.J. realized he wasn't cut out for friendship with the broody girl? How long would it take Lucas to stop fighting for her, to stop putting up with her mood swings and her two steps forward, one step back approach to relationships? How long before she got her heart broken again?

It was with those depressing thoughts circling her head that she signed online. She hardly ever talked to anyone online after she had her falling out with Brooke and subsequently, the entire cheer squad, but it had become a habit for her to do so anyways. She immediately noticed that Lucas was on, and part of her itched to IM him. She was nervous and had no idea what she would say to him. It just seemed necessary to talk to him. She needed reassurance.

As her mouse lingered over his screen name, a box popped up.

"DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282 wishes to talk to you," Peyton muttered. It only took her a second to figure out who that was.

_PunkEmochic44: Mr. Hopps, I presume?_

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: Does the screen name really give it away?**

_PunkEmochic44: Yeah. How'd you get my screen name?_

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: My father. He knows all.**

_PunkEmochic44: Really????_

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: God no…I asked Haley. **

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: So, what's up, bitch?**

_PunkEmochic44: Umm, just debating whether to IM Lucas or not._

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: Do it.**

_PunkEmochic44: Easy for you to say. _

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: What are you like five? He doesn't have cooties.**

_PunkEmochic44: Shut up! God you're even infuriating online…_

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: You know you love me. **

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: And you love stalker boy.**

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: So just fucking IM him.**

_PunkEmochic44: Nice transition._

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: I thought so.**

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: Shit my dad is coming…**

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282: I g2g. IM stalker boy!**

**DiSoRdeRlyCoNdUcT282 has signed off**

Peyton chuckled at his speedy departure. She hadn't even gotten a chance to say goodbye to him. However, his words had made an impact. She definitely had to talk to Lucas. She took a deep breath before clicking on his name.

_PunkEmochic44: Hey_

There…The worst part was over.

**CellarDoor579: Hey you.**

Okay maybe not the worst part…

_PunkEmochic44: Whatcha up to?_

**CellarDoor579: Umm, working on our English essay. **

_PunkEmochic44: Isn't that due in like two weeks?_

**CellarDoor579: Yeah, I figured I'd get it done with. Plus I already read the book a couple times now.**

_PunkEmochic44: Nerd. _

**CellarDoor579: Ouch. That hurt.**

_PunkEmochic44: Well if it helps, you're my nerd._

Peyton bit her lip as she pressed enter. Flirting with Lucas online was almost as tough as doing it in person.

To say Lucas was shocked would be an understatement. He never expected her to IM him so soon after slightly pushing him away. Then, she flirted, blatantly, and he didn't know exactly how to respond to it. Did he flirt back? Did he ignore it? He decided to go with what he knew best. Honesty.

**CellarDoor579: If that's the case, you can call me whatever you want as long as I'm yours.**

Peyton immediately felt herself blush reading the lines. He always knew how to make her heart melt, even with the smallest gestures and words. Lucas witnessed her reaction on her webcam and smiled to himself seeing that he had done the right thing.

_PunkEmochic44: That was incredibly cheesy._

_PunkEmochic44: But cute nonetheless._

**CellarDoor579: It's the truth though. **

**CellarDoor579: Cheesy as it was.**

Peyton stared at the keyboard. She figured now was as good a time as ever to get that reassurance.

_PunkEmochic44: Lucas…_

**CellarDoor579: Peyton…**

_PunkEmochic44: I need to ask you something._

**CellarDoor579: Ok.**

_PunkEmochic44: I know you said that you were going to wait for me, but are you really? I mean you know how I am. My emotions run hot and cold. I get freaked out easily and I shut people out. I'm not exactly the easiest girl to court. Do you really think you can handle that? Last time you couldn't and it broke my heart. And I think both of us need to know what the deal is with the other before we try again. _

**CellarDoor579: Peyton, I've been infatuated with you since I was twelve years old and I first caught a glimpse of your curls. And when you finally gave me a chance to get to know you that infatuation turned into something much more. I wanted so much more with you. I saw you as more than just a gorgeous girl I had pined for. So when you pushed me away, I had never felt pain like that before and after that, I admit I made some pretty stupid decisions, but the feelings I had for you never went away.**

**CellarDoor579: You can push me away as many times as you feel like. You can run hot and cold and freak out on me as much as you want. I'll wait for you.**

Lucas waited with baited breath for her response, knowing he had poured his heart and soul into that IM. He wondered if it was good enough.

_PunkEmochic44: I'm afraid._

Those two timid words nearly broke his heart in half. And he found himself, feeling the exact same way.

**CellarDoor579: I am too.**

_PunkEmochic44: What if we just wind up hurting each other again?_

**CellarDoor579: We can't live our lives in fear, Peyt. There are risks all around us, and this is a chance worth taking. **

_PunkEmochic44: …I don't know…_

**CellarDoor579: I'm not gonna hurt you again.**

**CellarDoor579: I love you**

**CellarDoor579: I promise**

There was a long pause where Lucas just stared at the screen waiting for her to say something. And finally he got his answer.

_PunkEmochic44: I love you too._

_PunkEmochic44 has signed off._

----------

_You have stolen my heart_

_------------_  
To answer questions you may have….

Lucas's screen name (CellarDoor579) is based off the theory of a famous linguist that the most beautiful combination of two words in the English language is Cellar Door. The reason I know that: I'm an English major in college. You pick up fascinating things. lol. Anyways, it seemed like something Lucas would use for his screen name.

A.J./ Haley: I thought that making A.J.'s feelings for Haley part of the story might make him more 3D…I kinda alluded to it when Haley talked to Peyton, but didn't really touch upon it. I figure this explains more of A.J.'s motivations in my mind. Btw, I don't plan on making A.J. and Haley get together for the reasons A.J. mentioned.

P.S. I totally hate writing online conversations in stories, so I'm sorry if it sucked. I tried to make it realistic despite the perfect grammar. I just can't stand have grammar errors no matter what the context. And yeah…I'm done rambling now lol.


	9. Thus with a kiss

A/N: This is the end, my only friend, the end…yes I'm quoting Jim Morrison, but it's the truth. Last chapter! I want to thank all the reviewers. Your response to this story has been amazing and I thank you for spending time to drop me a few words of encouragement. The support for this fic surprised me especially when I started to give an original character such an important role, but then I guess that's the power of A.J., huh? lol. It was so hard for me to end this story because I had no idea how I wanted it to go. I think it came out cheesy, but in a good way…umm in a Lucas way. lol.

Fun fact for you all…I hate Shakespeare and all his works and yet in every God damn fic I write Shakespeare's little plays creep their way into my writing. It's not fair. And I'm sorry if any of you are a fan of his, I just had to rant a little about how I can't escape the man no matter how much I try. lol.

Okay enough of my extra long ramble…Thank you again and if at all possible, drop me a review and tell me how you liked the ending. Or you can curse at me for hating Shakespeare. Either way. : )

Disclaimer: I don't own One Tree Hill or Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet for that matter.

Chapter Nine: Thus with a kiss…

"Eyes, look your last! Arms, take your last embrace! and, lips, O you The doors of breath, seal with a righteous kiss. A dateless bargain to engrossing death!  
Come, bitter conduct, come, unsavoury guide! Thou desperate pilot, now at once run on The dashing rocks thy sea-sick weary bark! Here's to my love! O true apothecary!  
Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die."

"Perfect!"

"And then I do this," A.J. said as he smashed his lips against hers. Peyton pulled back immediately.

"Okay, first of all, we said no practicing the kiss. Secondly, I'm dead. You wouldn't kiss a dead woman like that."

"Hmm, you've been friends with me for at least a month and you still don't know me well."

"Eww, necrophilia!"

"Having a hot, dead wife makes it okay."

"Thank you? I think."

"Take the compliments when I give them," A.J. said as he began looking through the cardboard box of costumes in front of him. He and Peyton were currently in running through the last dress rehearsal for their Romeo and Juliet performance. It had been one month since the Friday night party, and ever since then, A.J. and Peyton had become permanent English partners. No matter what the project, A.J. had convinced Peyton it was in her best interest to be part of their team. Or maybe it was more important to him that she kept him on track. Either way, Peyton agreed.

"So will you be wearing tights for this performance?"

"Ha," A.J. barked.

"Seriously? I need to give Karen the final details."

"Who's Karen?"

"Lucas's mother," Peyton said, rolling her eyes, "We've talked about this before."

"I used to smoke weed. I have a bad short term memory. Sue me."

"The words 'used to' imply it being past tense."

"It is," A.J. feigned a gasp.

"Liar," Peyton said, "Jill McCoy said she caught you smoking this past weekend with Sarah and Hannah."

"Jill McCoy is a liar, and she's also jealous because I slept with both those girls instead of her."

"Arrogant much?"

"More like brilliant and intuitional."

"Intuitional?"

"Inclined to follow intuition. Check the dictionary, dumb ass."

"Tsk. Tsk. That's no way to speak to a lady," Peyton said, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

"Where's the lady? All I see is-"

"You two bicker a lot, huh?" The voice came from the door of the gym. Peyton whipped around, a bright smile immediately coming to her face. A.J. just rolled his eyes.

"Yes, stalker boy, we tend to. She simply doesn't realize my perfection."

"How long have you been there, Luke?" Peyton asked, ignoring A.J.

"Just enough to know that A.J. slept with Sarah and Hannah this weekend and that Jill's spreading lies again."

"See! Even your stalker knows she's a liar."

"Wow, he's been here two minutes and you've managed to call him stalker twice."

"It's a pet name."

"Why are you friends with him again?" Lucas asked as he sat down beside Peyton. The two were still lingering in a state between friendship and dating. They were more then friendly with each other. They held hands and hugged more than normal friends would. There were small kisses on the cheek or forehead, but it seemed they were just edging a line, with all the fear in the world of crossing it.

Lucas though was ready to cross it. He had been aching for weeks now to kiss her. To call her his girlfriend. But for some reason, he couldn't get enough courage to just straight out ask her where she stood. That would hopefully change soon though. He had been putting into action a plan that would hopefully mean taking the plunge for him and Peyton. It would have them confront their feelings, or in the least, earn him another kiss from the curly blonde.

"I'm friends with him because he's witty enough to give you a pet name," Peyton said sticking her tongue out at him.

"That and I'm extremely good looking," A.J. said, "And funny and smart. I'm like you minus the emotional baggage of having a…well whatever the hell you two have."

"You are a smart ass," Peyton said quickly, trying to avoid the question of whatever the hell she and Lucas were.

"Don't hate the player. Hate the game," A.J. stood up from his spot. "I should get going. I have a date with destiny."

"Ooh Destiny? A stripper, perhaps?" Peyton teased.

"Try my father." A.J.'s face distorted "Ugh, thanks, bitch. Now I have this vision of my father in chaps."

"Go!" Peyton chuckled.

"Parting is such sweet sorrow," A.J. said dramatically as he exited the gym.

"That's not in our scene, A.J.!" Peyton called after him.

"Shakespeare needs no reason to be quoted." His voiced echoed off the walls long after he had shut the door.

"And then there were two," Lucas said, in a low mysterious voice. Peyton simply laughed a little, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Tell your mother to skip the tights. I think I'd be a fool to expect A.J. to actually wear them."

"You'd be a fool to think anyone else wants to see him wear them," Lucas said scrunching his nose at the thought.

"Oh, you'd be surprised. All the girls in our class would love to see that."

"Take a man's perspective. Tights are not something we feel comfortable wearing."

"I understand. I personally hate them too."

"Well your pretty legs shouldn't be covered in tights anyways," Lucas said. He patted her kneecap, uncovered by her short denim skirt.

"Charmer," Peyton teased.

"Always." They sat in comfortable silence and the linoleum floor. Lucas played with Peyton's curls, twirling the silky blonde strands through his index and middle finger, as she repacked her boxes. When she finished, she took the time to relish in his subtle caring gestures before breaking the tranquility. She needed to get home.

"Will you walk me to my car?" she asked sweetly, a shyness creeping over her that only Lucas could instill and he responded with a kind smile.

"Of course." It's not like he could deny her anything.

They walked, hand-in-hand to Peyton's car, the only sound heard was the gentle breeze and Lucas's humming of "Linoleum" by Lucas. Peyton couldn't help the giggle that tumbled out at hearing it.

"You're goofy," she said as she opened the door to her car and he guided her box into the backseat.

"I know," he said as he pulled back.

"So," Peyton began, but she was cut off by the ringing of his cell phone. Lucas glanced down, his eyes widening.

"Can you wait one second? I just got to answer this."

"I could always talk to you later."

"Just wait impatient one." He flipped his phone open. "Hello."

"It's done, stalker boy. I talked to Mr. Camden, and he's giving Haley and I a pass."

"And he's okay with it?"

"Yeah I guess he's all for romantic gestures. I should have expected it from a silly hippy like him."

"Thanks again for this."

"Well as long as it works. I'm so sick of this 'will they, won't they' crap. I feel like I'm watching the WB."

"Well this should settle it."

"Good luck then." And with that, the line went dead.

"Who was that, Luke?" Peyton asked as he placed the phone back in his pocket.

"A friend of a good friend."

"Why aren't you dressed?" Peyton panicked as she paced backstage. The theater was filled with the entire school. All of them allowed assembly to see the junior and senior classes perform their skits. Unfortunately, her partner seemed to have gotten cold feet, though his smirk confused her in that regard.

"I'm not dressed because I'm not going out there."

"And why the hell not?" Peyton demanded as she invaded his personal space, her fists curling into balls and her eyes narrowed.

"Has anyone told you, you're sexy when you're angry?" A.J. said, raising an eyebrow. Peyton disregarded his statement.

"Aaron James Hopps! We are the last performance of the day and we're up in two minutes! I don't have time for flirting."

"You never have time for flirting," A.J. muttered, his smirk still in place.

"A.J.," Peyton began in a very low voice.

"Relax," A.J. sighed, "I'm not going on for a very good reason."

"And that would be?" Peyton hissed.

"There's someone else to take my place."

"What? Who? Why?" Peyton sputtered, trying to make sense of it.

"Another actor. Don't worry though. He knows his lines. I made sure."

"A.J., what the-"

"Ooh curtain call," he said shoving her out on stage, "Don't forget your lines."

"Aaron James," she hissed before she saw the curtain begin to rise. She nearly froze in place, but quickly hurried to her spot and lay down, closing her eyes. She could hear the footsteps on stage, but the identity of her fellow actor was unknown. Not wanting to open her eyes and ruin the scene, she let herself just trust A.J., and it was a scary thought to have trust in him.

Then, she heard the voice and she had to try her hardest to keep the goofy grin off her face. She knew who it was standing at the edge of her bed. That voice, she had learned, was distinctive. It was raspy and low, sexy enough to send chills down her spine. She was awoken somewhat from her trance by the feel of his hand on her cheek.

"Here's to my love!" he said, caressing the smooth skin on the line of her jaw. He removed it, and she repressed a groan at the loss of contact. She heard him unscrew the lid of his flask, no doubt getting ready to swallow the poison. And she felt herself giddy with anticipation at the thought of his lips on hers.

"O true apothecary! Thy drugs are quick." He leaned forward so that she could feel his breath on her lips and his hands moved to cup her face, "Thus with a kiss I die."

His lips brushed hers in the gentlest of ways, before pressing down with a bit more fervor. His tongue darted out for the briefest second to taste her bottom lip before retreating back into his own mouth. He collapsed gently beside her, whispering in her ear, "I'm glad you didn't go with tights."

It took all the strength she had to finish the act, and not just reach over and kiss him senseless, but she did. And finally when she laid down to die and she saw the curtain close she reached over and smacked him on the chest.

"Ouch!" he said, recoiling into a ball, "What was that for?"

"A.J. almost gave me a heart attack when he said he wasn't going on!"

"Well, it was the only way."

"The only way for what, may I ask?" Peyton said, rolling her eyes.

"To kiss you without having to worry about the consequences," Lucas said honestly, "I've been wanting to do it for weeks, but I wanted to give you time."

"Well, you could have just asked."

"Asked to kiss you?"

"No! Just…I don't know, asked me out."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I think," Peyton began before stopping to take a deep breath and gather her strength, "I've been thinking about this a lot lately. It would be easy, Luke, to punish you for the mistakes you've made. They were foolish and we both know that, but we both also know that you've come a long way since then. You basically have done everything I've asked of you and while it would be easy to hide from this thing we have, I'd rather embrace it. I'm tired of walking the thin line of friendship and relationship and hiding behind something platonic with you because damn it, I like kissing you!"

They both shared a small chuckle before Peyton continued.

"You're the one who taught be to open my heart up and let people in. And you also taught me that even if doing so leads to heartbreak, it doesn't mean the end. There's always second chances at love. And I'm ready for our second chance. I've actually been ready for awhile. I just figured you'd want to make the first move."

"I'm glad you want to give me a second chance," he said taking her into his arms and hugging her tightly.

"You're worth it," Peyton mumbled into his shoulder. They pulled apart though Lucas kept his hands on her shoulders.

"So a simple 'Hey Peyton, want to see a movie tomorrow?' would have sufficed."

"Probably," Peyton laughed.

"This was all in vain huh?"

"Well, no," she said playing with his collar, "I love grand romantic gestures. And this was definitely cheesy enough to make my top ten even. And it was quite a first move on your part if I do say so myself."

"So does that mean I get another kiss? Or do you need-"

He was cut off when Peyton's lips smashed against his, her tongue immediately delving into his mouth which had been open mid-sentence. He pulled her close and wrapped his arm around her waist while his other hand was buried in her hair. A sudden clapping caused the two to break apart.

"Well, well well," A.J. said, "Looks like stalker boy's little plan worked."

"You!" Peyton said pointing a finger in his face. A.J. could tell she was preparing one of her long winded rants so he put his hands up.

"Now's not the time for this, Peyton." She immediately shut up hearing him use her real name. "You two need to go enjoy the night now that you're officially a couple and I'm going to go chat up that brunette over there."

"Umm, A.J.," Lucas said quietly, "You do realize-"

"Of course," he smirked before heading to the back of the theater. The girl watched him approach with a look of apprehension and intrigue settled on her face.

"Why hello young lady," he said smoothly, his hands folded behind his back, "Did you enjoy the show?"

"It was lovely," she said politely, "I especially liked the last act although I think you would have done much better as Romeo."

"Naturally," A.J. nodded, "But he suited her Romeo much better. The whole broody thing she has going. Way too depressing and angsty for a charming, upbeat fellow like myself."

"I can see that."

"Maybe you just have a thing against her Romeo."

"Whatever you say, Hopps."

"I've heard stories about you," A.J. said suddenly, "Some very interesting stories."

"None of them are true."

"Pity. I'm always looking for a good screw and a girl who can drink me under the table."

The brunette girl smirked and turned to face him.

"Well, maybe not all the stories were false," she said quirking an eyebrow, "What did you have in mind?"

"We are the two hottest, horniest people in this school. I'm sure we could think of something. The real question is how much time do you have, Brooke Davis?"

"It was only a matter of time," Peyton laughed as she watched A.J. and her former best friend slip out the back door of the theater.

"They seem to make sense," Lucas said, furrowing his eyebrows, "Although I really don't want to think of the havoc they're about to reek on Tree Hill."

"I don't either. I'd rather think of where you're going to take me on our first date."

"Well I was thinking dinner and a concert. I got tickets to NOFX."

"I think that sounds lovely as long as you don't start singing."

"That's me inside your head," he managed to sing before he was cut off by Peyton's lips.

THE END

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Yeah I couldn't resist a little Brooke Davis/ A.J. Hopps action...They seem fitting really. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Be sure to check out my latest LP fic "The Art of Selflessness"

Christina


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